Rahul attacks Modi government over three farm laws, says they will destroy mandi, MSP, purchasing system
Nov 04, 2020
Araria (Bihar) [India], November 4 : Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday attacked the Narendra Modi government over three new agriculture laws, saying they will destroy the "mandi, MSP and purchasing system" and vegetable prices were rising due to them.
Addressing a rally here ahead of the third phase of assembly polls in the state, Gandhi also said that farmers faced problems in selling their crops in Bihar due to inadequate road infrastructure.
"What happened to you in 2006, now Narendra Modiji wants to do that to the whole country. The three laws that have come will completely destroy the mandi, MSP and purchasing system. This is why vegetable prices are rising rapidly," he said.
"Modiji says he has freed farmers as they can now sell their produce anywhere... Modiji tell me, will the farmer go to sell his produce on an aeroplane? Or will he go by road? If he has to go by road, where are the roads in Bihar?" he asked.
He said 30 per cent of the maize in the country comes from Bihar and alleged that the money, "which should go in the pockets of farmers, is going to the middlemen".
Bihar government had decided to abolish the Agricultural Produce Marketing Committee (APMC) in 2006.
Gandhi said that Chief Minister Nitish Kumar "betrayed the mandate" given to him in 2015.
"When you (people of Bihar) voted for Nitish Kumar, you did not vote for the BJP. You voted for the Mahagathbandhan government. But Nitishji betrayed the mandate," Rahul Gandhi said.
He also said demonentisation done by the BJP-led government in its previous tenure had caused hardships to people.
"If it (demonetisation) was a fight against black money, why weren't the ones with black money standing in lines outside the banks," Gandhi asked. He alleged that NDA government was run "for a few industrialists".
"If there is Mahagathbandhan government in Bihar, it will be a government of farmers, labourers, for every caste, religion and class," Gandhi said.
He said that farmers do not get the right price for their produce and youth of the state is compelled to go elsewhere in search of work.
"Then Narendra Modiji imposes lockdown and sends them back. It was imposed without any notice or warning just like he had imposed the demonetisation of high-value currency notes. The poor labourers of Bihar and other states were forced to walk hundreds of kilometers back home," Gandhi said.
He said the poor labourers had told him that they were not given even two days to go to their homes.
Bihar voted in the first and second phase of state assembly elections on October 28 and November 3. Voting in the third phase will take place on November 7 and the results are scheduled to be declared on November 10.
