Farmers Movement Archive

Rahul, Cong netas meet Prez, seek withdrawal of farm laws

New Delhi: Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi, Ghulam Nabi Azad and Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury met President Ram Nath Kovind on Thursday and sought the withdrawal of the recently-enacted controversial farm laws even as party leaders were prevented from taking out a march to Rashtrapati Bhawan. Submitting a memorandum to the President, which Congress said was backed by signatures from nearly 2 crore farmers in the country, Rahul Gandhi said the laws were “anti-farmer”, would make them suffer huge losses and would also threaten India’s food security. The Congress delegation also said all opposition parties stood with the farmers protesting on Delhi borders for nearly a month. Speaking to the media outside Rashtrapati Bhavan, Rahul Gandhi said, “You have an incompetent man running the system on behalf of three-four other people who understand everything.” He said the system of agriculture was being destroyed and anyone opposing the PM was deemed a "terrorist”. “I want to tell the Prime Minister that these farmers are not going to go back home until the laws are repealed. The government should convene a joint session of Parliament and take back the laws,” Gandhi said. On Thursday morning, a Congress contingent of 78 leaders comprising Members of Parliament, Congress Working Committee members, and PCC presidents from Punjab, Haryana, Delhi and Rajasthan attempted to march to Rashtrapati Bhavan to demand withdrawal of the farm laws. However, leaders including general secretaries Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and K C Venugopal, Kumari Shelja, Kudeep Bishnoi and Randeep Singh Surjewala were detained for a few hours for violating prohibitory orders. Reacting to the government’s preventing Congress leaders from marching, Rahul Gandhi said, “India is walking on a dangerous path. Being detained, beaten is a norm for this government. There is no democracy in India. It is in one’s imagination, not in reality.” Priyanka said it is the government’s duty to listen to farmers.

The Times of India

2020-12-25

India