Image Courtesy:thehindu.com
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is emerging as one of the most outspoken Opposition party leaders lending his support to the farmers’ protest, which is now nearing its second month at the Delhi border. Gandhi has stayed away from the main protest sites as the farmers themselves do not want a political colour to be added to their movement, but has been a part of a number of solidarity events across the country. So much so that senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) members have named Rahul Gandhi in their verbal attacks, and have asked him to answer for various political developments in the country, as if he is the man in power.
Gandhi has so far brushed aside personal attacks and is becoming the voice of the Opposition which has been eerily quiet at the moment. Any Left party leaders at the protest are there in their capacity as activists, and are well known labour and farm union leaders themselves.
“The three Farm Laws are designed to destroy Indian agriculture,” Gandhi said, adding that the fact that more people did not understand this was a “tragedy unfolding in the country.” He lashed out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for what he called were tactics to “tire the farmers out”. He said the farmers were more knowledgeable and knew more about farm laws than even the Prime Minister. The only option was to repeal the laws, he said, however adding a caveat that the plan was still to benefit a few farmers. He said that these farm laws are not just an assault on farmers but also on the middle class and every single youngster in the country needs to understand that. He alleged that the Centre’s new farm laws have been designed to destroy Indian agriculture. Gandhi said that he will keep fighting to provide justice to 62 crore hard-working farmers and labourers.
The Congress leader claimed that the new farm laws will put the entire agriculture sector in the hands of three or four crony capitalists. He said that there is just one solution to end the farmers’ protest and that is the withdrawal of the three newly enacted farm laws. The farmers he said are fighting for the nation, not for themselves, and the Indian middle class citizenry needs to understand that. According to Gandhi, there was media manipulation underway and the Union government he alleged was “keeping the nation misinformed”.
Gandhi’s press conference, and presence on the ground is an interesting marker, when most BJP leaders are busy in pre-election campaigns, or at official functions and inaugurations, and the Prime Minister himself has not yet had a press conference, nor has he addressed the farmers protesting at Delhi borders.
Gandhi however, has said at every forum possible that the three contentious farm laws will have to be repealed by the government. He also released a booklet titled ‘Kheti ka Khoon’ or ‘Murder of Farming’ on the issue. Gandhi said the farmers protest was one of the many issues that highlighted the “tragedy unfolding today in the country. The government wants to ignore issues and misinform the country. I’m not going to speak about farmers alone as it is only part of the tragedy. It’s important for youngsters. This is not about the present but the future.” The farmers are the patriots, who are protecting the livelihood of 60 percent of the country, he said adding that this was reason enough to support farmers, “the farmers are more intelligent and aware than the prime minister.”
Gandhi also lashed out at BJP president JP Nadda who wanted Gandhi to answer a series of questions that he asked in a long thread on Twitter. The BJP chief started off with a taunt tweeting, “Now that Mr Rahul Gandhi has returned from his monthly vacation, I would like to ask him some questions. I hope he will answer them in today’s Press Conference,” and unrolled the ‘questionnaire’.
Now that Mr. @RahulGandhi has returned from his monthly vacation, I would like to ask him some questions. I hope he will answer them in his today’s Press Conference.
— Jagat Prakash Nadda (@JPNadda) January 19, 2021
“Who is he? Why should I answer him,” Gandhi shot back adding, “Is he my professor? I will answer to the country.” Nadda had asked Gandhi about Coronavirus, and China, and farmer protests. He of course invoked Nehru and alleged that Gandhi was “provoking and misleading” farmers.
Gandhi of course could not resist commenting on the ongoing conversations and accusations over Republic TV chief Arnab Goswami’s leaked whatsapp chats. He demanded that the leaked information about the Balakot strike be probed, and that the source and recipient of the secret information must be booked. “Sensitive defence information before Balakot was given to a journalist. Even the pilots get such information at the last moment. Top five people (the prime minister, the defence minister, the home minister, the IAF chief and the NSA) had this information. Someone out of them gave him this information. This is criminal. We must find out who gave and the process of the probe should begin but it will not because the PM must have given the information,” alleged Gandhi, adding “If Arnab Goswami knew, I believe Pakistan also knew.”
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