Gandhi also spoke of tribal rights at the event stating that the BJP had renamed the tribal community as "vanvasis" to "alienate the original owners from the possessions" of forests, land and water. (Express Photo)SAYING THAT Prime Minister Narendra Modi was “incapable of holding a debate in Parliament”, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday alleged that Prime Minister Narenda Modi was “compromised” and that US President Donald Trump had the “controls” on PM Modi.Targeting PM Modi over the recent bilateral issues with the US, Gandhi, who was in Vadodara to address a tribal rally, said, “You can see that a war is on in Iran… Did you see how the PM ran away from the Parliament? I can guarantee you and give you in writing, he (PM Modi) cannot debate in the Parliament, he has been compromised. He made a deal with the US and became the first PM of India to open up the agricultural sector…”Claiming that the decision to open the agricultural sector in the trade deal would be “devastating” to the farmers, Gandhi said, “No other Prime Minister has ever opened up the agricultural sector for the US… That is because our farms are one, two or five acres in size with manual farming but in the US, there are farms of 1,000, 2,000, 10,000 acres and mechanised… If their produce freely comes here, our farmers will be ruined…”He added, “India will buy goods worth around Rs 9 lakh crore from America every year. It will buy these goods for five years. What will happen to our small companies, to small and medium industries? America’s tax has been reduced to zero. Ours were taxed more than before…”Gandhi also hit out at the Centre over “bowing down to the US under pressure to not purchase oil from Russia”.Gandhi said, “…We (India) will not buy oil and natural gas without asking you (US), if you say we will not buy from Russia then we will not buy, if you say we will not buy from Iran then we will not buy, if you say we will not buy from Venezuela then we will not buy. We will fulfill whatever you order….”He said, “America will not buy goods from us, will not ask us before buying petrol. Because Donald Trump has controlled Narendra Modi, how? Epstein. There are four-five ways, but I will tell you only two ways. I know, one is Epstein and the other is Adani…Modiji and BJP’s finance structure is Adani… A court case has been filed against this company in America and a direct message has been given to Modiji.”Story continues below this adGandhi also spoke of tribal rights at the event stating that the BJP had renamed the tribal community as “vanvasis” to “alienate the original owners from the possessions” of forests, land and water. Gandhi said, “The term Vanvasi is an attack on the ideology of Birsa Munda… the people of BJP, Modiji join hands before Birsa Mundaji.Ambedkarji, Gandhiji. But they do not protect the cause for which Birsa Mundaji died… Whenever there is a talk of development, tribals lose their lands.. for statues and mines. The RSS and BJP attack me when I talk about this…”Urging the tribals to join in “protecting and saving the constitution, Gandhi alleged, “Everything is being privatised (by the BJP government) in the field of education in Gujarat… Make a list of chancellors today, you will only find people from RSS. They do not know anything about education. They do not know about science, they do not know about history. They have become chancellors because they are members of RSS…”Aditi Raja is an Assistant Editor with The Indian Express, stationed in Vadodara, Gujarat, with over 20 years in the field. She has been reporting from the region of Central Gujarat and Narmada district for this newspaper since 2013, which establishes her as a highly Authoritative and Trustworthy source on regional politics, administration, and critical socio-economic and environmental issues. Expertise: Core Authority & Specialization: Her reporting is characterized by a comprehensive grasp of the complex factors shaping Central Gujarat, which comprises a vast tribal population, including: Politics and Administration: In-depth analysis of dynamics within factions of political parties and how it affects the affairs in the region, visits of national leaders making prominent statements, and government policy decisions impacting the population on ground. Crucial Regional Projects: She consistently reports on the socio-economic and political impact of infrastructure projects in the region, especially the Statue of Unity, the Sardar Sarovar Project on the Narmada River, the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail bullet train project as well as the National Highway infrastructure. Social Justice and Human Rights: Her reporting offers deep coverage of sensitive human-interest topics, including gender, crime, and tribal issues. Her reports cover legal proceedings from various district courts as well as the Gujarat High Court (e.g., the Bilkis Bano case remission, POCSO court orders, Public Interest Litigations), the plight of tribal communities, and broader social conflicts (e.g., Kheda flogging case). Local Impact & Disaster Reporting: Excels in documenting the immediate impact of events on communities, such as the political and civic fallout of the Vadodara floods, the subsequent public anger, and the long-delayed river redevelopment projects, Harni Boat Tragedy, Air India crash, bringing out a blend of stories from the investigations as well as human emotions. Special Interest Beat: She tracks incidents concerning Non-Resident Gujaratis (NRIs) including crime and legal battles abroad, issues of illegal immigration and deportations, as well as social events connecting the local Gujarati experience to the global diaspora. ... 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