Farmers Movement Archive

‘I was and will be with annadata’: Rahul Gandhi as farmers' agitation continues

Continuing his attack on the Centre over the ongoing farmers’ agitation against the three new farm laws, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said on Saturday that India’s ( annadatas) farmers were peacefully struggling for ensuring a better future for India and added that he would continue to stand by their side. Gandhi further took a jibe at the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government’s popular slogan ‘acche din’ by saying that the days were neither ‘acche’ (good) nor ‘sacche’ (true).“Neither true nor good days of Modi government! Our annadatas are struggling peacefully for the better future of the country. I was and will be with them,” Gandhi’s tweet roughly translated from Hindi read.Addressing a rally in Rajasthan’s Padampura on Friday, he said that almost 40 per cent of the country’s population was employed in businesses associated with agriculture and the new laws would adversely impact them. Claiming that these 40 per cent of the people feed all citizens, the Wayanad MP said that this business was worth ₹40 lakh crore.ना सच्चे ना अच्छे,दिन मोदी सरकार के!देश के बेहतर भविष्य के लिए हमारे अन्नदाता शांतिपूर्ण संघर्ष कर रहे हैं।मैं उनके साथ था, हूँ और रहूँगा। pic.twitter.com/9bxJzGL7um“This is the motive of these laws. The day these laws are implemented, remember my words, the business of 40 per cent population will go in the hands of two people,” Gandhi alleged during his Padampura rally. He further appealed to the Centre to repeal the farm laws before engaging in any future discussions with the farmers.“PM Modi says in Parliament that he wants to talk to the farmers but what talks do you want with farmers? End these laws first and then farmers will talk to you,” he said.Also Read| Sitharaman counters Rahul Gandhi's 'Hum do, Hamare do' with MNREGA dataEleven rounds of talks have been held between the Centre and the farmers’ unions till now - which remain deadlocked despite the former placing an offer to suspend the laws for 18 months. Farmers have been protesting at several border points in Delhi since November 26 last year. Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) spokesperson Rakesh Tikait had said on Friday that the farmers would not return home and protest would continue until both sides arrive at an agreement.Meanwhile, Union agriculture minister Narendra Singh had said that the government, in several rounds of talks, had requested the unions to ‘discuss the farm laws clause by clause’ in order to solve their problems. “However, farmers’ unions never agreed to discuss the farm laws except for the demand for their repeal,” Tomar added.

Hindustan Times

13-02-2021

India