PM doesn’t respect farmers, wants to tire out those protesting against agri laws: Rahul

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, January 15

Prime Minister Narendra Modi does not respect farmers and wants to tire out those protesting against the Centre’s new agri laws, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi alleged on Friday.

He also said that the talks that are being held with the protesting farmer leaders are part of the government’s delaying tactics.

Farmers will not relent till the laws are repealed, said Rahul Gandhi at Jantar Mantar, where he along with Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra joined party MPs in their demonstration against the legislations.

The former Congress president’s remarks come on a day when the government is meeting protesting farmer unions for the ninth time to break the over-a-month-long deadlock on the three new agri laws.

“The talks are being held only to delay. PM Modi thinks he has the power and will tire the farmers out, but he is mistaken,” Rahul Gandhi told reporters.

“Narendra Modi does not have basic respect for farmers. He does not even care if over 100 farmers die. He thinks he has the power and the protesting farmers will tire out after some days, but they will not relent,” he said.

Thousands of farmers, mainly from Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh, have been protesting at various border points of Delhi since November 28 against the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020, the Farmers Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020.

Rahul Gandhi said this agitation has just started and the laws will have to be repealed.

“They (the government) do not know the strength of farmers, they will not relent. PM Modi does not understand this. Had he understood this, the government would have taken back the laws today itself,” he said at the Jantar Mantar where Congress MPs Ravneet Singh Bittu, Jasbir Singh Gill and some other legislators from Punjab have been staging the protest for over a month.

Asked about objections being raised over the proposed tractor rally by protesting farmers on Republic Day, he said, “If farmers want to come out and take out a tractor parade on Republic Day, what is the harm in it.”

“The Prime Minister misunderstands, he thinks this country is run by four to five industrialists, who control him,” Rahul Gandhi said, adding that the country is run by farmers, labourers and the youth.

He said if anyone “attacks” farmers, it is an attack on the country. The country’s farmers have maintained the country’s independence by ensuring food security and the day food security is lost, the country will lose its independence, Rahul Gandhi said.

“This is a financial issue, not a political issue. PM Modi wants to hand over everything that farmers have to his corporate friends,” the Congress leader alleged.

He also raised strong objections to protesting farmers being dubbed as “Khalistanis”.

Thousands of farmers have come out to protest against the farm laws and “you should not have dubbed them as ‘Khalistanis’”, Rahul Gandhi said.

Congress MP Bittu had earlier told reporters that it was Rahul Gandhi who had started the protests against the farm laws in Punjab and Haryana and had also undertook a tractor rally.

The Congress is demanding a repeal of the farm laws, alleging that they are against the interests of farmers and farming and are aimed at helping only the “corporate friends” of the BJP.

The three farm laws, enacted in September last year, have been projected by the government as major reforms in the agriculture sector that will remove middlemen and allow farmers to sell anywhere in the country.

Earlier, the brother and sister duo took part in the Raj Bhavan gherao, which the Delhi unit of the Congress organised today.

“We will stand with farmers till the black laws are repealed and the government will have to budge,” Rahul said addressing party members.

“These laws are not to help farmers but to destroy them. These laws have been drafted to aid corporates like Ambani and Adani,” Rahul Gandhi said.

He said the government would have to rescind the laws.

“The Congress will continue to stand with farmers till the time these laws are repealed. The government had earlier attempted to usurp farm lands by bringing the new land acquisition Act. Now the BJP and their corporate friends have again made a bid to attack the farmers and we will again stand against the government,” he said before leaving for the Jantar Mantar.

Congress units from across India staged marches at state capitals today and gheraoed Raj Bhawans to protest against farm laws and fuel price hikes.

The party is calling the protests Kisan Adhikar Divas.

Agriculture Minister hits back at Rahul

Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar hit back at Rahul Gandhi on Friday for his remarks against the Prime Minister over the farmers’ protest and said even the leaders of his own party do not take the Gandhi scion seriously and laugh at his remarks.

Tomar, along with two other Union ministers, met the farmers protesting against three recent farm laws for the ninth round of talks today but the discussions did not reach a decisive stage.

Addressing the media after the meeting with the farmers, Tomar said Gandhi’s statements and actions are laughed at even within his own party.

“The Congress manifesto in 2019 itself had promised these reforms and therefore, Sonia and Rahul Gandhi should tell us whether they were lying then or are lying now,” he said. — with PTI

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