PM Modi should've invited farmers as guests of honour for R-Day Parade: Punjab Congress President

By Archana Prasad
New Delhi [India], January 24 : Amid the ongoing farmers' protest at the borders of the national capital, Punjab Congress President Sunil Jakhar on Sunday said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi should have reached out to farmers by inviting them as guests of honour for the Republic Day Parade.
"Modi ji should have called the old courageous woman, who lost her son at the border, as the guest of honour at the Republic Day Parade. She is still fighting with farmers at the Delhi borders along with her grandchild," he said.
"The presence of the martyrs' parents will justify the slogan of 'Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan' on this Republic Day. The Republic Day Parade on January 26 should be called 'Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan parade" rather than creating a rift between the farmer community and rest of the nation," the Congress leader told ANI.
He also opined that Prime Minister Narendra Modi should use this as an opportunity to build a bridge, fill up the gap which has been created and eradicate the 'poison' which has been seeded against the farmers in the country.
"Soldiers are the children of farmers and people from rural backgrounds, not the sons of Adani and Ambani," the leader further added.
He also stressed that these are the people who deserve to be invited and said, "This was an opportunity for Modi ji to invite these people to Republic Day. Modi ji has missed an opportunity; he should have invited them and let them watch their sons (soldiers) who will be marching there in uniform at Rajpath."
He added, "Instead of honouring and respecting the farmers, the 'Annadatas', whom people praise in election rallies, have been forced to march into Delhi. Dil hai Hindustan ka (Delhi is the heart of India), but now they need to seek permission to enter."
He also raised questions on Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) arranging events saying, "I personally think BJP is known to be a party of events. They love arranging events rather than doing worthwhile things for the country. I think the guest of the honour in the parade should be the father of the soldiers who lost his life at the age of 22."
"Modi ji should call the old lady Mahendra Kaur, who was called a 'Deharidaar' working for Rs 100 a day. She should be sitting where Modi ji was inviting Boris Johnson. Who is Boris Johnson?" he said.
"I think Modi ji still has time. Today is only the 24th. Two days are left and he could invite all the old grandmothers, mothers, wives and sisters of the 'soldiers'," he further said.
"Old age parents should be invited as special guests and given the opportunity to pay their respect at the Amar Jawan Jyoti," he added.
Earlier on Friday, the Congress Working Committee (CWC) passed a resolution where they stated that the only demand of India's farmers is to "repeal the three objectionable laws."
"There is only one demand of India's farmers and farm labourers -- repeal the three objectionable laws. But the Government continues to side-step, malign, deceive and hoodwink the farmers by attempting to tire out, intimidate and divide the farmers. Let the BJP Government understand one unequivocal truth - India's farmers shall neither bow down nor be cowed down," Congress said in a statement.
"CWC notes that these three laws impinge upon the Constitutional rights of states and constitute the first step in dismantling the three pillars of the edifice of Food Security built up over the past decades -- MSP, Public Procurement and PDS," the statement further said.
Meanwhile, the Delhi police has formally given permission for the protesting farmers' tractor rally --Kisan tractor rally -- to be held on January 26, Yogendra Yadav, chief of Swaraj India said on Sunday.
Farmers from all across the country are marching towards Delhi in order to take part in the scheduled rally. Tractors from Punjab, Haryana, and Rajasthan have reached on Tikri border as the farmers sit in for protest for nearly two months.
They 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.