NAGPUR: State Congress president and Maharashtra revenue minister Balasaheb Thorat on Saturday accused the prime minister Narendra Modi of allowing capitalists to enslave common man and farmers.
He was speaking at the party’s ‘Speak up for Kisan Adhikar’ (farmers’ rights) programme in Nagpur. Thousands of Congress workers and farmers took out a tractor rally to protest against the Centre’s farm laws and hike in fuel prices. They held demonstrations outside the rear gate of Raj Bhavan -- the official residence of Maharashtra governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari, who is in Nagpur for the last couple of days -- this afternoon. The protest was earlier supposed to be held in Mumbai, but the venue was changed to coincide with Koshyari’s visit to Nagpur from January 12 to 17.
The various warring factions within the city Congress unit also joined the protest extending their support to the agitating farmers and demanding repeal of the contentious farm laws.
Thorat said the rally was part of the party’s planning to gherao governors across the country to extend its support to agitating farmers. “We were supposed to organize the gherao protest on January 15 but it was postponed due to gram panchayat elections across the state,” he said adding we urge the governor to inform the Congress party’s views to the central government regarding repeal of three laws.
According to him, Congress is the only party in the country which worked for betterment of farmers. Citing examples, he said the Maha Vikas Aghadi government had waived off farmers loans when it came to power in the state in 2019. He said the coronavirus outbreak and the resultant lockdown had hit the dairy sector hard and almost 10 lakh litres of milk was going unsold as the rates per litre was very low. However, the state government procured the milk through milk cooperative societies at Rs 25 per litre and the stock was used to make milk powder.
Thorat said the party is waiting for a signal from party high command in New Delhi for intensifying their protest against the new farm laws.