Farmers Movement Archive

Priyanka Gandhi, on her way to meet President with 20mn signatures against farm laws, detained

The Delhi Police on Friday took Priyanka Gandhi and other Congress leaders into custody while they were on their way to meet President Ram Nath Kovind with 20 million signatures against the farm laws. The leaders have been taken to Mandir Marg Police Station, according to news agency ANI.Deepak Yadav, additional DCP (New Delhi), said that some Congress leaders marching towards Rashtrapati Bhavan were detained and confirmed that Priyanka Gandhi was among them. However, it would take some time to ascertain the identities of the other detained leaders, he said.“We are living in a democracy and these are elected MPs. They have the right to meet the President and they should be allowed. What is the problem with that? The government is not ready to listen to the voices of lakhs of farmers camping at borders,” Priyanka Gandhi said. “Any dissent against this government is classified as having elements of terror. We are undertaking this march to voice our support for the farmers,” she added.After the demonstration, that started at 10:45 am from Vijay Chowk, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and other senior leaders met President Kovind and submitted the memorandum containing 2 million signatures.“I told the President that these farm laws are anti-farmer. The country has seen that farmers have stood up against these laws,” Rahul Gandhi said after the meeting.“I want to tell the PM that these farmers are not going to go back home until these farm laws are repealed. The government should convene a joint session of Parliament and take back these laws. Opposition parties stand with farmers and labourers,” he added.According to a letter written by Congress MP KC Venugopal to the personal secretary to the President, only three leaders, Rahul Gandhi, Ghulam Nabi Azad and Adhir Ranjan Chaudhary were permitted to meet President Kovind.

Hindustan Times

24-12-2020

India