Congress leaders including Bhupinder Singh Hooda taken into custody during protest march over farm laws
Jan 16, 2021
Chandigarh (Haryana) [India], January 16 : Congress leader and former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda along with several Haryana Congress leaders were detained on Friday by police as they marched towards the Raj Bhawan in Chandigarh in protest against the new farm laws.
Hooda along with state party chief Kumari Selja, general secretary Randeep Surjewala and other party leaders were taken into preventive detention here by the Chandigarh Police and first taken to the Sector 3 police station.
The police released some party workers but they were again taken into custody as they tried to move towards Haryana Raj Bhawan.
"We are standing in support of farmers since day one. We are not afraid of going to jail. No matter how many times we put into the jail, the government cannot stop us," Hooda said.
Speaking to media persons, Hooda said that that stopping the march towards the Raj Bhawan shows the dictatorship of the government. "They want to suppress the farmers and those who come in support of them," alleged Hooda.
The Congress leader also demanded the special Assembly session and said that being public representatives we should raise the voice of the country's farmers.
"We tried to meet Governor and demand for the special Assembly session to raise our voice for the farmers. Being a public representative it is our responsibility to call put up the concerns of them," he said.
The congress on Friday had organised the 'Kisan Adhikar Diwas', in support of the farmers' agitation against the new farm laws.
Congress leaders including Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra had gheraoed Raj Niwas in the national capital to express solidarity with the farmers.
Protestors in Delhi, Himachal Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh took out marches and slogans against the Centre, demanding the rollback of the three farm laws.
Meanwhile, yet another round of talks over farm laws held on Friday between the Central government and farmers' organisation at Delhi's Vigyan Bhawan remained inconclusive. The next round of talks will be held on January 19.
Farmers have been protesting on the different borders of the national capital since November 26 against the three newly enacted farm laws - Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020; the Farmers Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and farm Services Act 2020 and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020.
