Rahul Gandhi addressing a presser at Circuit house in Patiala.(Express)Punjab, HaryanaFarmers Protest Today LIVE updates: Rahul Gandhi Tuesday, addressing a presser at Circuit house in Patiala said that the farm bills will end up destroying the existing structures of food and security for the farmers. Attacking the Centre, Rahul said that the laws introduced by the Modi government “is an attack on our farmers”.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was finishing “farmers and labourers” with the three farms laws just as he had “destroyed” small shopkeepers with demonetisation and GST.
During a rally in Punjab’s Samana city, Rahul Gandhi said: “Like he (Modi) finished small shopkeepers and small-medium businesses with GST (Goods and Services Tax) and demonetisation, he is finishing farmers and labourers the same way and slashing your throats with these three laws.”
Meanwhile, earlier today, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar said that Rahul has the right to put forth his views but “if he comes with a big procession from Punjab, we won’t allow that.” Speaking to reporters, Khattar said that nobody will be permitted to spoil the atmosphere or take law and order into one’s hands.
Protesting against the new farm laws, farmers sit at the Railway station in Jalandhar for an indefinite period as part of their rail roko agitation in Punjab on Thursday. (Express Photo by Gurmeet Singh )
Rahul Gandhi said that not only farmers, but consumers will also suffer losses due to the changes brought by the introduction of the three farm bills.
If farmers are getting benefits, as the centre is claiming, why was there no discussion in the parliament for the same. Rahul Gandhi once again criticised the timing of passing these bills, which according to him has resulted in repressing the voices of opposition.
Rahul Gandhi took a jibe at the centre for its handling of the coronavirus crisis and highlighted that the small and medium business, which are the backbone of India's economy suffered endlessing during the Covid-19 lockdown.
Rahul Gandhi responding to a question about his visit to the Hathras village recently said, "I wanted the victim's family to know that they are not alone, we are there for them."
Gandhi also criticised PM Modi for not speaking up against the incident. "The entire family was targeted by the Uttar Pradesh administration, but our PM didn't say a word on the issue."
Rahul Gandhi Tuesday said that the farm bills aim at destroying the existing structure of food and security for the farmers. Attacking the Centre, Rahul said that the laws introduced by the Modi government "is an attack on our farmers".
Congress's 3 day long Kheti Bachao Yatra reached Haryana today with Rahul Gandhi addressing a presser at Circuit house in Patiala.
To recognise that a lot of agricultural trade takes place outside APMCs is sensible. To think that all that happens under good conditions is silly. To know that arhtiyas are important in Indian agricultural markets is sensible. To know that they are a part of the supply chain in the north-west part of the country is also important. However, arhtiyas cannot dare to take on the FCI and the mai baap sarkar. Moreover, such arrangements do not work in other parts of the country. At the same time, to say that e-markets and farmer-managed companies — the last as designed by a committee I chaired at the beginning of this century — are the way ahead is correct but to suggest that they are dominant rural organisations today, two decades later, is childish. (Read more here)
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was finishing "farmers and labourers" with the three farms laws just as he had "destroyed" small shopkeepers with demonetisation and GST.
During a rally in Punjab's Samana city, Rahul Gandhi said: "Like he (Modi) finished small shopkeepers and small-medium businesses with GST (Goods and Services Tax) and demonetisation, he is finishing farmers and labourers the same way and slashing your throats with these three laws."
Union Minister Smriti Irani on Monday ridiculed Congress leader Rahul Gandhi as a "VIP kisan" after photographs showed him sitting on a cushioned seat on a tractor during his party's protest rally in Punjab against the Centre's new farm laws.
Gandhi is holding a series of tractor rallies named 'Kheti Bachao Yatra' across the Congress-ruled northern state to protest against the three farm laws being seen as major reforms in the agriculture sector.
"He is someone who uses a sofa to sit on a tractor. A VIP kisan like him can never support a system which is meant to free small and marginal farmers from the clutches of middlemen," Irani, said here. (PTI)
"I have no problem but law and order shouldn't be disrupted. If he will come with a procession from Punjab, that will not be allowed. He can do rally with the people here," Haryana CM ML Khattar said on Monday.
"They passed the three black farm Bills amid Covid-19. What was the haste to do it at this time? They did it because they thought the farmers won't be able to do anything, but they don't know the power of a farmer," Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was quoted as saying by ANI during the during party's 'Kisan Bachao Rally' in Sangrur Punjab.
The Haryana government has decided that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s tractor rally will not be stopped from entering the state on October 6. The Congress is scheduled to hold tractor rallies in Kurukshetra and Karnal on October 6 and 7.
“We have decided that Rahul Gandhi’s tractor rally will not be stopped from entering Haryana. We don’t want any law and order issues to be unnecessarily created causing a breach of peace and harmony in the State. However, no violation of law and order shall be tolerated”, a senior Haryana government officer told The Indian Express. Click here to read the full report.
While addressing a gathering in Punjab's Sangrur, Rahul Gandhi said that he accepted there were loopholes in systems including mandis, PDS, and MSP. "We accept that there are loopholes in the system involving mandis, PDS & MSP, and it needs to be strengthened. But Narendra Modi is not doing anything to improve that system. He's destroying that system... With farm bills, he's killing farmers," Gandhi said.
"For the last six years, the Narendra Modi government has been attacking the poor, labourers, farmers every single time. Not a single policy is introduced to benefit the poor people. All of these policies benefit their 3-4 chosen friends," Rahul Gandhi said in Sangrur.
While addressing a gathering at Sangrur's Barnala Chowk, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh appealed to Rahul Gandhi to scrap the farm laws once he becomes the prime minister. "The law is made. The bills have been passed in the Parliament. But who says that an amendment cannot be made to those laws. I request Rahul ji to scrap these black laws when he becomes the PM with a majority in the Lok Sabha," Singh said in the presence of the former Congress chief.
While slamming the centre over farm bills, Rahul Gandhi said Congress will not back off from protesting against these bills. "Every farmer will come on road to fight against these bills and against your party. Congress party stands with all the farmers and will always support them."
Rahul Gandhi, while slamming the centre over the farm bills, says, "What was the need to bring these bills at the time of coronavirus pandemic? Because Narendra Modi thinks that if such bills are introduced at the time of coronavirus, the farmers will be unable to come out of their houses and protest against them."
Rahul Gandhi reached Barnala chowk in Sangrur on Day 2 of the party's three-day Kisan Bachao Yatra, on Monday. He was accompanied by Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh, party's state chief Sunil Jakhar and party leader Harish Rawat.
After Punjab, Rahul Gandhi will visit Haryana on October 6 and 7 to hold tractor rallies against the recently enacted farm laws even as Home Minister Anil Vij softened his stance on the Congress leader’s entry into state. Gandhi will hold the rallies in Kurukshetra and Karnal districts of the state, party leaders said. After this, Rahul Gandhi will go to Kurukshetra and halt there for the night. His journey will start from Pipli Mandi next morning from where he will proceed to Nilokheri and after that he will go to Karnal, where the tractor rally will culminate,” she said.
Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Sunday said, “We have not received any intimation about his (Rahul’s) programme so far.” The remarks came after Vij earlier said the Congress leader’s tractor rally will not be given permission to enter the state. However, on Sunday, Vij said, “We are a democratic state”. Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of an event in Karnal, the CM hailed the three farm laws as a “game changer”. “Farmers are going to benefit in a big way,” he said. Read more here
Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee's 'rail roko' agitation in Punjab's Amritsar, against Farm laws, enters 12th day. A farmer says, "Political parties are doing political stunt. If they had to do something, they should have done it in Parliament."