Rahul Gandhi likely to join farmers’ protest in Punjab

Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi is more likely to lead a protest in Punjab this week in help of farmers agitating towards the federal government over three farm legal guidelines handed by Parliament final week, individuals accustomed to the event stated.

Gandhi can be anticipated to handle a rally, the date and venue of which is being finalised, a Congress chief stated.

“After Punjab, he may join the protesting farmers in Haryana. But we are not sure if the BJP government in Haryana will allow him to enter the state,” stated the chief quoted above.

The protest rally is a part of the Congress get together’s ongoing two-month-long nationwide agitation programme towards the federal government over the three farm legal guidelines.

Also Read: PM Modi reaches out to farmers amid anger

The Farmer’s Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020, the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill, 2020 and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill, 2020 have been cleared by each the Houses of Parliament final week, triggering widespread protests, particularly in Punjab and Haryana.

President Ram Nath Kovind on Sunday gave his assent to the three contentious payments, regardless of the Opposition urging him to return them and solely signal as soon as they have been handed after correct guidelines and procedures have been adopted.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has termed the legal guidelines a “watershed moment” within the historical past of Indian agriculture, which can empower thousands and thousands of farmers.

In his month-to-month ‘Mann Ki Baat’ broadcast on Sunday, he stated a lot of farmers have benefited since vegetables and fruit have been introduced out of the Agricultural Produce Marketing Committees (APMC) Act in some states a couple of years in the past, and asserted that grain-producing peasants will now have the identical freedom.

Also Read: ‘Great to see Akali Dal holding flag of farmer’s rights aloft’: Farooq Abdullah on NDA exit

However, the transfer noticed the exit of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), one of many Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)’s oldest allies, from the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). Its Union minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal additionally resigned from the Modi authorities.

Gandhi, after returning on Tuesday from the United States the place he had accompanied his mom and Congress president Sonia Gandhi for a routine well being check-up, didn’t attend the proceedings or be part of the Opposition’s protests in Parliament on the final day of the monsoon session on Wednesday in view of the protocols being adopted throughout the Covid-19 pandemic.

However, he has been repeatedly elevating the difficulty on the social networking website, Twitter.

In a video message as a part of the Congress get together’s ‘Speak up for Farmers’ marketing campaign on Saturday, Gandhi advised farmers that they have been being persistently attacked.

“First demonetisation, then GST, then you were not given a single rupee at the time of coronavirus, attempt was being made to kill you (farmers), you are being made a slave of corporates, and now these three deadly bills,” he stated.

“We are standing with you (farmers) and together we will stop these bills. I want to say to the government—you have made a very big mistake. If farmers hit the streets, it will result in tremendous damage. Don’t waste time, withdraw these laws immediately and give guarantee on MSP (minimum support price) to farmers,” Gandhi stated.

On Thursday, the Congress launched its “mass movement” towards the federal government over “anti-farmer, anti-poor and black laws”.

The get together has additionally determined to gather two crore signatures from protesting farmers towards the proposed legislations.

By saying almost two months of protests, the precept Opposition get together is looking for to regain among the political house it has misplaced through the years by concentrating on the farmers of the nation. India has about 146 million farmer, going by operational land holdings, in accordance with an agriculture census of 2015-16.

The Congress can be seeing the difficulty as a 2015 second when Sonia Gandhi performed a key position in bringing 14 Opposition events collectively towards the proposed land acquisition invoice that pressured the BJP-led authorities to withdraw the controversial ordinance and shelve the thought of bringing a brand new laws to switch the 2013 Act.

As a part of the programme, the Congress will maintain a number of press conferences throughout the nation. On Monday, senior leaders from states will stroll to the respective Raj Bhavans and submit a memorandum on the farms payments to governors to be handed over to the President.

On October 2, the beginning anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi and former Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri, the Congress will observe ‘Kisan-Mazdoor Bachao Divas (Save Farmers and Farm Labourers Day)’.

There can be protests and demonstrations in each district throughout the nation demanding the quick withdrawal of the legal guidelines.

On October 10, state-level conferences can be held, and from October 2 to October 31, the get together will accumulate signatures from 20 million farmers from all elements of the nation.

On November 14, the beginning anniversary of India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, a memorandum, together with signatures of 20 million farmers, can be submitted to the President.