Congress extends full support to 'chakka jam' protest by farmer unions

Congress said on Friday said it "fully supports" the nationwide 'chakka jam' protest by farmers from 12 noon to 3 pm on Saturday.

Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal said in a statement that party workers will stand shoulder to shoulder with farmers in their protest against the new farm laws.

He said that protest by farmers on the borders of Delhi for the past 73 days for repeal of three farm laws was not only "aimed at protecting agriculture and farming but also saving the public distribution system".

He alleged that Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar had sought to mislead the Rajya Sabha and the nation during his speech on the motion of thanks to the President's Address.

"It is public knowledge that the farmers' orgzations have held 11 rounds of talks with the government in which they have provided a point-wise detail of the deficiencies and lacunae in the three laws, consequent to which even the Government has openly agreed to bring about as many as 18 amendments. In the light of this, whatever the Agriculture Minister said today in Parliament is not only bereft of facts but is grossly objectionable," Venugopal said.

He said the government had not consulted opposition parties or farmers orgsations before enacting the laws.

"The Indian National Congress fully supports farmers' movement and protests. When the farmers' orgsations go on a three-hour nationwide 'bandh' from 12 noon to 3 pm in a non-violent and peaceful 'chakka jam' on the national and state highways, the Congress party will extend its full support to farmers' orgzations," the statement said.

"The Congress Party workers in solidarity with the protesting farmers will stand shoulder to shoulder in this symbolic and Gandhian way of protest," it added.

The statement said that in accordance with the spirit of the protest, Congress workers will take full care that the ambulance services, school bus, elderly, patients and women and children are not inconvenienced due to the protest call.

It said the government should not stand on "misplaced" prestige and repeal the three laws.

( With inputs from ANI )