Farmers Movement Archive

‘Priorities of Modi government’, says Rahul Gandhi on Fit India Dialogue 2020

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi continued his attack on the Centre and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the farm bills recently passed by Parliament. Taking to Twitter on Thursday, Gandhi said that the Modi government is not talking to farmers and instead is busy in image-building exercises.“Priorities of Modi government - instead of talking to farmers and labourers to solve their problems, they (the Modi government) are engaged in PR,” he said in a tweet posted in Hindi. The Congress leader also attached the screenshot of a news article.Also read | ‘Families that play together, stay together’: PM Modi at Fit India Dialogue 2020The attack was a dig at PM Modi who took part in Fit India Dialogue 2020 earlier in the day and interacted with fitness icons. The event was organised to mark the one-year anniversary of Fit India Movement.Bollywood actor and model Milind Soman, cricketer Virat Kohli and nutritionist Rujuta Diwekar were some of the participants. During the online dialogue, PM Modi also launched the ‘Fit India Age Appropriate Fitness Protocols’.The Congress has been attacking the government since the passage of the bills, which it calls “anti-farmer”. The party has also launched a pan-India campaign against the legislations which await the President’s nod.Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad, representing a clutch of Opposition parties, met President Ram Nath Kovind and urged him to not sign the bills.Some farmers from Punjab and Haryana are also protesting against the farm bills passed by Parliament. They have organised a three-day ‘rail roko’ agitation starting Thursday.Another farmers’ organisation has called for a state-wide ‘bandh’ on September 25 in Punjab.The contentious bills - Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill, 2020 the Farmers Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill, 2020 and the Farming Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020 - were passed by Parliament despite uproar and strong protest by the Opposition parties.These parties allege that the government had “undermined rules, regulations and procedures” in pushing the bill through both the houses of Parliament.

Hindustan Times

24-09-2020

India