At Rajasthan mahapanchayat, Sachin Pilot calls for withdrawal of laws

A day before the ‘chakka jam’ planned by various farmer outfits across the country, Rajasthan saw several events being organised to express solidarity with the farmers opposing the three farm laws passed by the Centre.

While Congress leader and former deputy chief minister of Rajasthan Sachin Pilot took part in a ‘kisan mahapanchayat’ in Dausa district along with some of his loyalist MLAs from the party, the Hanuman Beniwal-led Rashtriya Loktantrik Party (RLP) took out tractor rallies across districts in protest against the laws.

RLP supremo and Nagaur MP Hanuman Beniwal, who had earlier broken ranks with the NDA over the farm laws, said that his party stands with the farmers and will take part in peaceful protests against the laws.

During the tractor rallies, RLP members also submitted memorandums against the laws to district administrations.

The Dausa mahapanchayat is also being seen as a show of strength by Pilot, who publicly feuded with Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot last year, sparking a political crisis in the state.

Flanked by some of the 18 MLAs, who stood with him at the time, including MLAs Ved Prakash Solanki, PR Meena, Harish Meena, Rakesh Pareek, Murari Lal Meena, GR Khatana and Suresh Modi, Pilot launched an attack on the Narendra Modi-led BJP government at the Centre over the farm laws.

A stronghold of the Pilot family, the mahapanchayat was also attended by a large number of his supporters including former office bearers of the Congress who had resigned last year after Pilot was removed as state party president and deputy CM.

“None of the state governments were consulted before formulating these laws, no farmers’ organisation was asked and the three laws were hurriedly passed in the House and forcibly imposed on the country,” said Pilot. He called for withdrawal of the three laws and cases against the farmers.