Rahul accuses government of bullying farmers, says repealing new farm laws only solution

Accusing the government of "beating, threatening and bullying" farmers, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday said the three new farm laws should be repealed immediately and it would be wrong for the ruling coalition to think that the protests will end.

Addressing a press conference here, Gandhi accused the government of destroying the livelihoods of farmers and labourers.

He said the government is going to give the middle class a shock in the coming times "because the prices of food will skyrocket".

The Congress leader said the first farm law brought by the government "destroys the mandi system, destroys the agricultural markets of this country".

"The second law allows unlimited storage of grain and other materials and will make it practically impossible for our farmers to negotiate their prices. The third law basically says that if the farmers have a grievance, they cannot go to court," he said.

"Now, it is very obvious, why the farmers are agitated because the government is destroying the livelihoods of India's farmers. What is being done to the farmers is absolutely criminal. You are beating them, you are threatening them, you are bullying them, and you are trying to discredit them," he alleged.

Gandhi said the government needs to talk to the farmers.

"It needs to give a solution to the farmers and the only solution, as I have said again and again is repealing these laws and putting the laws into the waste paper basket."

He said the government must not think that the farmers are going to go home.

"My concern is that this situation is going to spread. We do not need this situation to spread, we need a conversation with the farmers and we need a solution," he said.

He said the only solution is to "repeal the new farm laws and put them in the wastebasket".

Congress leader said that the government was "targeting" farmers at Singhu border and this is "absolutely wrong".

Answering a question about the incidents at Red Fort on January 26, Gandhi asked why protestors were allowed to go inside and "who allowed them?"

"Is it not the work of the Home Ministry that they should not be allowed. Who is responsible? What was the idea behind allowing them?" he asked.

Gandhi said the rich in the country were getting richer and the poor were getting poorer.

"This anger that you are seeing among the farmers, this is that anger that five-seven people have everything, we have nothing and what is ours is being snatched," he said.

He said Congress is fully supporting the protesting farmers.

"We are standing with you. Do not move back an inch. This is your future, fight for it. The five-ten people who are trying to snatch your future, do not allow them. We will help you fully," he said.

There was violence during the tractor march called by farmer unions on Republic Day with protestors clashing with police and resorting to vandalism in different parts of Delhi.

Farmers have been protesting at different borders of the national capital since November 26 against the 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.

( With inputs from ANI )