Farmers Protest US Vice-President JD Vance’s Visit, Accuse Modi Government of Silence on Hostile US Policies

• Apr 22, 2025

Farmers, under the banner of the All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS), launched a strong protest against the visit of US Vice-President JD Vance, holding rallies and public meetings across villages in Ludhiana and Malerkotla districts. The demonstrations were part of a nationwide call by the farmer wing of the CPI(M) to voice opposition to growing US pressure on India's agricultural policies.

The AIKS, in a statement issued ahead of the protest, urged its units across the country to organise mass demonstrations, burn effigies of JD Vance, and raise slogans such as “Vance Go Back” and “India is Not for Sale” at both village and state levels. The protests were carried out on Monday following mobilisation efforts on Sunday.

Leading the protests in Punjab, state leaders Baldev Latala and Sikandar Jartoli condemned what they described as Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s indifference and silence in the face of hostile US policies under former President Donald Trump. Protest leaders accused the Modi government of failing to safeguard India’s agricultural interests in the ongoing trade talks with the US.

Speakers including Latala, Jartoli, Kuldeep Singh, Rajinder Singh, Amarjit Singh, Harpreet Singh, Jagroop Singh, and Bhupinder Singh expressed concern over the US decision to impose a 26% tariff on Indian agricultural products. They warned that such a move would not only hurt farmers but also have a cascading effect on labourers, small traders, employees, and the broader economy—leaving the door open for corporate exploitation.

The protestors also targeted recent remarks by US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, who reportedly insisted that India must open its agriculture market and that agriculture should not be excluded from discussions on a Bilateral Trade Agreement. The AIKS leaders demanded that this issue be taken up during JD Vance’s meetings with Indian officials.

As part of the ongoing protest campaign, the farmer leaders announced that groups of activists (jathas) would travel to Delhi to continue their demonstrations against Vance’s visit, reaffirming their resistance to foreign interference in India’s agricultural sector.