NEW DELHI: A day before the ‘Bharat Bandh’, Congress upped the ante by dubbing the farm laws as “Adani-Ambani law” and party functionaries staging a dharna demanding that the winter session of Parliament be convened to debate the issue.
Echoing farmers’ demand, Rahul Gandhi tweeted, “The ‘Adani-Ambani farm laws’ have to be revoked. Nothing less is acceptable.” He also announced Congress’s support for the farmers’ nationwide bandh call. Congress spokesman and Punjab unit chief Sunil Jakhar said the Modi government would be responsible for “any inconvenience” caused to the public by the bandh. “The government should not become a lobbyist for corporates. Corporatising agriculture is not acceptable. Please don’t follow America,” he said at a press conference.
Congress MPs held a demonstration at Jantar Mantar holding placards saying “repeal the farm laws” and “call the winter session of Parliament”. They argued that the session was required to annul the laws as the government had failed to convince farmers agitating for over 10 days.
The largest contingent at the dharna site came from Punjab led by chief minister Amarinder Singh’s wife Parneet Kaur, Ravneet Bittu, Dr Amar Singh, Manish Tewari, Jasbir Gill and was also attended by Haryana Rajya Sabha MP Deepender Hooda among others. “The government should shed its stubbornness, respect the will of the people, repeal the farm laws and possibly bring a bill which assures MSP and local markets,” Amar Singh said.
“There is a string of issues, starting with the Chinese aggression to economic recession, which have to be discussed in larger public interest,” Tewari argued.