Farmers Movement Archive

Pradeep plans Jan 31 tractor rally across Santhal Pargana

Ranchi: In a show of solidarity with the farmers protesting against the new farm laws along the borders of Delhi, Congress’s Poriyahat MLA Pradeep Yadav is mobilising farmers in his constituency to organise a tractor rally in three districts of Santhal Pargana on January 31. The rally will follow the footsteps of a rally planned by the protesting farmers in the national capital on Republic Day. Talking to TOI from Godda on Monday, Yadav, who joined Congress last year after winning the 2019 assembly election on a JVM-P ticket, said, “At least 1,500 tractors will hit the streets on January 31 and cover a distance of around 80km. We will start from Kargil Chowk in Godda, pass through Dumka and make stop at Rohini Shahid Sthal in Deoghar district.” He added, “Congress has been fighting for the cause of farmers ever since these unconstitutional farm laws were enacted last year. The tractor rally will be one of the biggest rallies ever organised for the farmers.” This isn’t the first time that Yadav will be organising a major agitation against BJP. During the saffron party’s rule in Jharkhand from 2014-2019, Yadav was at the forefront of another massive agitation against Adani Power Project’s plant in Godda. Around 900 acres of land was acquired for the proposed 1,600 megawatt plant, which, Yadav claimed, was done forcefully by the BJP regime as many landowners were not willing to give up their land for the project. In 2017, Yadav was jailed for allegedly fanning violence during a protest march against the project. In July last year, when the Union government called for a boycott of Chinese items and banned several apps in the aftermath of the Galwan Valley clash in eastern Ladakh in which 20 Indian Army personnel were killed, Yadav wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi demanding removal of all the contractors belonging to Chinese firms engaged in construction of the plant in Godda.

The Times of India

2021-01-26

Ranchi