Farmers Movement Archive

Rajasthan CM, ministers, MLAs to stage dharna for farmers on January 3

Jaipur: Chief minister Ashok Gehlot, along with all ministers, Congress MLAs and others supporting his government would stage a dharna at the Shaheed Smarak here in support of the farmers protesting the Centre’s three controversial farm laws on January 3. The protest would also be against Governor Kalraj Mishra failing to forward the state’s three amendment bills passed by the assembly to counter the Centre’s farm laws to the President for approval. PCC chief Govind Singh Dotasra on Thursday said that if the Centre fails to withdraw its three farm laws by January 4, the ministers and MLAs would run a weeklong campaign, “Bharat Bachao, Kisan Bachao”, to highlight Modi-government’s anti-farmer policies across villages and hamlets in Rajasthan from January 5 to 11. “As long as farmers are not their priority, but big industrialists are, this issue cannot be resolved. Adani ji (industrialist) has already given an ad in support of these laws and has written against the farmers’ protest. For the past four years he has been building high-tech godowns and has signed an MoU with the FCI. This shows that the big industrialists are too eager to buy farmers’ crops. The three Union laws are a part of that conspiracy,” Dotasra said, addressing reporters at the party headquarters. He added, “Farmers are fighting to save their livelihood, but the Centre has neither the vision nor the willingness to help them. Congress held ‘Kisan Sanvad’ with farmers in the state from December 28 to 30. Now, on January 3, the Congressmen will take a pledge to put the final nail in the Modi-government (coffin) and stand with the farmers until the three Union laws are repealed.” The Congress leader said, “They are ignoring the ‘annadata’ (food giver/grower). The Modi-government’s countdown has begun; BJP will be wiped out even in states where it is currently in power.” Dotasra said, “We will build pressure on the governor (Mishra) to forward the amendment bills passed by the state government for approval to the President.” The Congress state president, who is also the school education minister, said, “Even if the fight continues for long, we will protest until these laws are withdrawn. We will lay down our lives, but the Congress under Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi will not abandon the farmers. The Congress will not rest till the farmers are freed from these black laws.” Decision to protest taken by party, not govt: DotasraThe decision that the Rajasthan Congress would protest in support of the farmers was taken at a Cabinet meeting held at the CM residence late Wednesday night. On being asked how the Cabinet could decide about the party’s functions, PCC chief Govind Singh Dotasra clarified on Thursday that the decision to protest was taken by the party and not by the government. “During AICC general secretary Ajay Maken’s visit, the party state unit decided that all ministers will sit with the CM and the PCC chief every Wednesday, as far as possible, to discuss state issues and find solutions. Last night, I presided over the meeting when the decision to protest was taken; the announcement was by the party and not by the government.”

The Times of India

2021-01-01

Jaipur