Congress to hold nationwide agitation against agricultural bills, party leaders to meet on September 21
Sep 19, 2020
By Siddharth Sharma
New Delhi [India], September 20 : Amid the farm bills row, the Congress is planning to hold a nationwide agitation against the Centre accusing it of supporting corporates. A meeting in this regard has been called by the party on September 21.
Among those who have been asked to attend the meeting include members of the committee, general secretaries and state in-charges.
According to sources, party interim president Sonia Gandhi, who has gone abroad for treatment and is accompanied by her son Rahul Gandhi, has issued instructions regarding the meeting.
The Congress had earlier decided to oppose the new agriculture bills in the Parliament.
Not only the Congress, but the Akali Dal, which is BJP's ally at the Centre, has also opposed the farm bills. Even, the Bharatiya Kisan Sangh associated with the Rashtriya Swamsevak Sangh (RSS) has also criticised the bills.
Rahul Gandhi and Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi have accused the Modi government of helping industrialists through these bills.
During the first term of the Modi government, the Congress under the leadership of Rahul Gandhi had protested against the Land Acquisition Act and managed to push the government on the backfoot. The party aims to repeat similar efforts once again.
Earlier, three bills brought by the Centre with an aim to improve the agriculture sector was passed by the Lok Sabha. Farmers of Punjab and Haryana have expressed their displeasure over the bills and launched protests in this regard. Akali Dal leader Harsimrat Kaur Badal has also resigned from the Union Cabinet after voicing her opposition against the bills.
On the other hand, the government has defended the farm bills, saying these have been brought to benefit farmers.
Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar has said that the Congress in its manifesto talked about the same agricultural reforms that the central government brought. The Congress has rejected his statement, calling it an attempt to mislead.
The agricultural bills are expected to be introduced in the Rajya Sabha on Sunday after its passage in the Lok Sabha.
