Farmers Movement Archive

Farm bills row: Won’t allow Rahul Gandhi, Congress workers to enter Haryana, says Anil Vij

Haryana home minister Anil Vij on Thursday said Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will not be allowed to enter the state to protest against the three farm legislations.According to the Congress, Rahul Gandhi will hold tractor rallies in Punjab and Haryana from October 3 to 5 to protest against the farm laws.Speaking to reporters here, Vij said Rahul Gandhi is free to do anything in Punjab. “But if the Punjab government, like it has done twice earlier and sent protestors from their state to spoil law and order in Haryana, will try to replicate it, then we will again block their entry,” he said.“The farmers protests in Punjab are sponsored by the government. The Congress government is doing what their high-command is telling them to do. But as far as farmers are concerned, they have understood the matter completely and their issues have been resolved after Prime Minister’s assurance,” Vij added.On October 5, the protest will begin from Dudhan Sadhan (Patiala) with a public meeting, and the tractors will then travel 10km to Pehowa border, from where Rahul Gandhi will enter Haryana, for a series of programmes there, a Congress spokesperson said. According to sources in Haryana Congress, Rahul Gandhi is likely to address rallies at Kaithal and Pipli in Kurukshetra district along the national highway on October 5 after which he will return to Delhi.Meanwhile, state BJP president OP Dhankar also said that the government will not welcome Congress leader Rahul Gandhi if he intends to damage the atmosphere of Haryana.“We will not welcome him if he is coming to damage the atmosphere of Haryana for political advantages,” Dhankar said. He also took a jibe at Congress president Sonia Gandhi saying that she was struggling to see her son as the Prime Minister of the country. “People should understand that Modiji is giving money for the procurement, not Sonia Gandhi,” he said.Dhankar, who was in Kurukshetra for a meeting of BJP district-level office bearers, said, “Congress leaders are spreading lies and false information about the new legislations as the Centre has already issued Rs 12,500 crore for paddy procurement in the state,” he said.Dhankar also slammed the Congress for not implementing the recommendations of Swaminathan commission.On the delay in paddy procurement, he said rice millers are affecting the procurement operations by not supporting the agencies but the government has already taken some decisions in this regard and every single grain of the farmers will be procured. With agency inputs

Hindustan Times

01-10-2020

City