Blaming the Congress and the ‘Tukde Tukde Gang’ of misleading and instigating farmers against the new agricultural bills, Madhya Pradesh Home Minister Narottam Mishra took a dig at the Gandhi scion saying that Rahul Gandhi would not even know if potatoes grow under or above the soil. He mocked Rahul Gandhi for driving a tractor earlier with a cushioned sofa installed in it and said that the Congress party should stop their drama over farmers.
Congress leader Kamal Nath ji, who never visited farms of a farmer in 15 months, will ride a tractor. Rahul Gandhi, who drove ‘sofa-cum-tractor’ don’t even know if potatoes grow above or below the ground: MP Minister Narottam Mishra on Congress supporting farmers’ agitation pic.twitter.com/agOITYjqOz
— ANI (@ANI) December 23, 2020
Addressing media in Bhopal, Narottan Mishra came down heavily on the Congress party, taking potshots at former party president Rahul Gandhi and Madhya Pradesh ex-chief minister Kamal Nath: “Congress leader Kamal Nath ji, who never visited farms of a farmer in 15 months, will ride a tractor. Rahul Gandhi, who drove ‘sofa-cum-tractor’ do not even know if potatoes grow above or below the ground”.
Rahul Gandhi and his tractor rally on cushioned, custom-made sofas
For the unversed, Rahul Gandhi had become a subject of mockery when images surfaced in October showing him sitting on what appeared to be cushioned, custom-made sofas on a tractor during a rally in Punjab to protest against the centre’s controversial farm laws. Gandhi had taken out 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.
The ‘protest’ launched by Congress is a political protest by those whose vested interests are hurt by the #FarmBills.
— Hardeep Singh Puri (@HardeepSPuri) October 5, 2020
Cushioned sofas on tractors is not a protest.
It is ‘Protest Tourism’ to misguide our farmers who are educated & intelligent to see through this facade. pic.twitter.com/MiYz7IndYf
Moreover, Narottam Mishra accused the ‘tukde tukde gang’ of instigating the farmers against the new farm laws. He alleged that those who were behind the anti-CAA protest are once again busy spreading falsehood against the agricultural reforms brought in by the central government.
Tukde Tukde Gang came to be a colloquial term used to refer to those who have often stood with elements who want to see India break up, or those who have actively worked towards it. One recalls the JNU event that was meant to commemorate terrorist Afzal Guru where ‘Bharat tere tukde honge, Inshallah Inshallah’ slogans were raised. Those ‘tukde tukde’ slogans came to be the identity of the ‘tukde tukde gang’.
Asking what is ‘black’ in these farm laws, Madhya Pradesh Home Minister questioned why so far no one could explain the ‘black laws’. “I could not understand what is ‘black’ in these farm laws. This ‘tukde-tukde gang’ is the one instigating and misleading the farmers. So far, no one could explain the ‘black laws’,” he said.
Congress manifesto for General elections 2019 promised abolition of APMC Act
It is pertinent to note here that while Rahul Gandhi emphatically expressed his support for the farmers and railed against the lack of MSP and APMC, the Congress manifesto from 2019 General Assembly elections reveals a diametrically opposite stand of the party when it went to polls last year.
The Congress Manifesto for the 2019 General elections stated that it would abolish the APMC Act altogether. “Congress will repeal the Agriculture Produce MArket Committees Act(APMC) and make agricultural produce—including exports and inter-state trade—free from all restrictions,” the manifesto read.
Congress promised for the complete abolition of the APMC Act in its manifesto while the Modi government has not repealed the APMC Act in its entirety.
Rahul Gandhi and his theatrics over the farm bills to continue
Despite everything being out in the open, Congress party has shamelessly continued to exploit the agitation to gain political brownie points. According to reports, Rahul Gandhi is set to lead a demonstration on December 24 (Thursday) from Vijay Chowk to Rashtrapati Bhavan in ‘farmers’ support. He will start at 10:45 am from Vijay Chowk to Rashtrapati Bhavan with Congress MPs. After that, along with and other senior leaders, he will meet the President of India and submit a memorandum with signatures of 2 crore people, said Congress MP K Suresh.