Congress tears into Modi as farmers hit the streets in Rajasthan

Jaipur,  : At a time when farmers all across the state staged major protests in different cities against the three farm bills passed in Parliament recently, Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot, veteran leader Randeep Surjewala and Chhattisgarh minister TS Singh also launched a scathing attack against Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday.

Surjewala, on this occasion, said that Corona in the country, China on borders and Modi on the farms has been making attacks. The anti-farmer agenda of the Modi government started in 2006 from Bihar where farmers lost their earnings. Now this draconian law has been brought in , he said.

Gehlot said that the entire country is on the streets because of the vicious situation created by the NDA government. The kinds of decisions taken by this NDA government are known to people, be it demonetisation, GST or to bring in farm bills. The farming mandis formed in the last 40 years have been uprooted in one day. However, the big industrialists are getting major discounts. They can do whatever they want, he added.

Gehlot said that the farmer is intelligent and he understands how his interest can be retained safely. “Now the government is talking about MSP for its defence. The situation is quite serious. The way in which all three bills were passed is shameful. No one talked. Therefore, our leaders have spoken to the President in the matter,” he added.

Gehlot said that in case there was a dispute between farmer and a trader, it was resolved in the kisaan Mandi. “Now, the farmer will have to go to an SDM to resolve this fight. All the provisions are anti-farmer. Mandis shall be scrapped soon. Signs of great ruin are visible,” he added.

Surjewala further said that the Congress party stands with the farmer in the bandh (strike) called by farmers on Friday. “The BJP is conspiring to end the success story of the Green Revolution. Today, 62 crore farmers and farm labourers are protesting the draconian laws passed in the country while Modi remains busy fooling the nation,” he added.

Meanwhile, protests were staged in different cities of the desert state.

Bandh, Raasta Roko, Protest meetings were organised in different cities including Shri Ganganagar, Hanumangarh, Churu, Bikaner, Sikar, Jhunjhunu, Nagaur, Jodhpur, Pali, Barmer, Jalore, Udaipur, Kota, Bundi, Baran, Chittaurgarh, Bhilwara and Jaipur, among othr places. Roads were blocked in many towns, said Sanjay Madhav, spokesperson of Akhil Bharatiya Kisaan Sangharsh Samiti, Rajasthan.

Madhav said that the Samiti and Left front stands with over 200 associations of farmers, labourers, tribal organisations and other such associations. “We have decided that these draconian laws shall never be implemented in the nation,” he said.

In Shri Ganganagar thousands of farmers blocked roads for close to two hours.

Private and government buses did not ply on roads to avert any mishap and more than 1,000 police personnel were deputed to manage law and order on the streets.