As Congress on Friday observed a Kisan Adhikar Divas against the farm laws across the country, party leader Rahul Gandhi said Congress will not relent till the Centre's newly enacted farm laws are repealed.
In a statement, Congress leader KC Venugopal said, as part of this, thousands of Congress Party leaders and workers led by Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi protested in front of the Raj Niwas in Delhi.
Addressing the workers in the protest Rahul Gandhi said, "BJP government will have to withdraw the farm laws. The Congress will not relent till these laws are repealed. These laws are not to help farmers, but to finish them".
"The Narendra Modi-led government earlier tried to take away the land of farmers, when it brought the land acquisition act and the Congress party stopped them at that time. Now the BJP and their two-three friends are once again attacking the farmers and have brought these three farm laws," he added.
Later Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi also visited Punjab MPs and leaders who have been sitting on Dharna at Jantar Mantar for the last 41 days.
Talking to the reporters Rahul Gandhi said, "Prime Minister Modi doesn't respect farmers and wants to tire out those protesting against Centre's agriculture laws".
Today is the 52 day since the farmers have been sitting on Dharna outside the national capital demanding rollback of three anti-farmer agriculture laws. Congress Party had announced to observe today, 15 January as 'Kisan Adhikar Diwas' across the country. On a day when our Farmer-annadatas are yet again being misled and subjected to pointless filibuster by the Government of India and its Ministers, Kisan Adhikar Diwas was observed under the aegis of the PCCs, said Venugopal.
Water cannon was used against Congress workers in Chandigarh while they were trying to gherao Punjab Raj Bhawan.
UPCC president and other leaders were arrested and detained by UP Police when they were trying to march towards Raj Bhawan in Lucknow.
Haryana leaders, including PCC president, held protest March and courted arrest. Reports of massive protests also came from Bihar, West Bengal, Jharkhand, Odissa, Chhatisgarh and Rajasthan. Arunachal Pradesh, Mpur Jammu and Kashmir, Uttarakhand, Andaman Nicobar Island and Lakshadweep Congress Committees also orgsed protests in their States. Simultaneous protests were held across the nation in all 28 states and Union territories.
The INC Social Media team also ran the "Speak Up For Kisan Adhikar" campaign through which workers and leaders posted their videos and messages in solidarity with the farmers. Congress leaders and workers again reiterated their resolve not to rest unless these three draconian laws are withdrawn.
Due to the festive occasion of Pongal, Makar Sankranti, the Kisan Adhikar Diwas will be observed in the remaining states on 16th and 17th January.
( With inputs from ANI )
Disclaimer: This post has been auto-published from an agency feed without any modifications to the text and has not been reviewed by an editor