Farmers Movement Archive

Congress protest march against farm bills

PATNA: The state unit of the Congress took out a protest march from Sadaqat Ashram to Raj Bhavan here on Friday to protest against three farms bills passed by the central government and rising prices of diesel, petrol and cooking gas. Police, however, stopped the protesters midway near Rajapul where they staged a dharna, which was addressed by senior leaders of the party. The march was jointly led by party state president Madan Mohan Jha and former union minister Tariq Anwar. The internal conflict, however, came to the fore when only a handful of the 19 MLAs of the party took part in the protest march organised at the behest of state incharge of the party affairs, Bhakt Charan Das, to mark 'Kisan Adhikar Diwas'. Addressing the workers of the party and functionaries on the occasion, Jha said that the impasse over the farm bills continued even after 51 days of protest by farmers. He lashed out at the central government for its anti-farmer policies. Speaking on the occasion, former union minister and AICC general secretary Anwar said that the prices of diesel and petrol have increased multiple times in recent years due to hike in cess of petrolium products by the Narendra Modi government. He alleged that the farmers as well as common masses are feeling the heat of the price rise. Party MLAs, including Vijay Shankar Dubey, Vijendra Choudhary and Shakeel Ahmad Khan took part in the protest march. Legislature party leader Ajit Sharma was conspicuous by his absence. Sources in the party, however, claimed that he could not take part in the agitation as his mother was stated to be critically ill. Kaukab Quadri, Prem Chandra Mishra, Shyam Sunder Dheeraj, Jyoti Bharti, Rajesh Rathod, Harkhu Jha, Ashok Kumar, Amita Bhushan, H K Verma, Kripa Nath Pathak, Renu Singh and Kapildeo Yadav were prominent among others present on the occasion. Later a delegation of the party submitted a memorandum to the governor.

The Times of India

2021-01-16

Patna