Cong to celebrate 'Kisan Vijay Diwas' nationwide on Saturday

A day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi's announcement to repeal three farm laws, the Congress has decided to celebrate 'Kisan Vijay Diwas' on Saturday as well as organise a 'victory rally' across the country, thereby shifting the party's political strategy on the issue of farmers' protest.

New Delhi: After the announcement of repealing all three Union farm laws by the Modi government, the Congress has decided to celebrate 'Kisan Vijay Diwas' on Saturday as well as organize a 'victory rally' across the country, thereby shifting the party's political strategy on the issue of farmers' protest.

After the rollback of petrol and diesel prices across the country, the repeal of farm laws is the second major decision that the Central government has taken after a mass protest by general public.

Now the Congress is all set to cash in on inflation, including all other pressing issues faced by the country. Therefore, All India Congress Committee General Secretary, K.C. Venugopal wrote a letter to all state governments on Friday, saying that after withdrawal of the three Union farm laws, 'Kisan Vijay Diwas' will be celebrated by the party across the country on Saturday.

The celebration on the repeal of all three farm laws by the Central government should reach out to the people and a 'Kisan victory rally' will be organised. All Congress state unit presidents have given instructions to all party workers right from the district to the block level to celebrate the Kisan Vijay Diwas. Earlier, from November 14, the Congress had decided to run a 'Jan Jagran Abhiyan' (public awareness campaign) against the policies of the Modi government across the country. Congress had started this campaign on various issues such as hike in petrol-diesel prices, unemployment, inflation etc.

The Congress had decided to hold on foot marches and processions by party leaders and workers on similar lines of the 'Dandi March' undertaken by Mahatma Gandhi against the British. After Congress' protests, providing a relief to the general public, the Centre levied less excise duty on the prices of petrol and diesel. On Friday, the Union government finally withdrew all three Central farm laws. After such decisions taken by the Centre, the Congress, too, has changed the overall strategy of its Jan Jagran Abhiyan.

The Congress is now making preparations to force the Central government to withdraw all three farm laws in the Parliament. For this the Congress leaders will reach out to the people demanding the Union government assuring the Minimum Support Price (MSP) on crops, loan waiver, removal of GST from agriculture sector and other important issues.

On the other hand, Congress was instrumental in making the opposition parties stand united while demanding a repeal of all three farm laws during the last Parliament session. Right from Parliament to the streets, the opposition parties unanimously demanded the withdrawal of all three farm laws. The Commiunist Party Of India-Marxist, Trinamool Congress, Rashtriya Janata Dal, including 20 opposition parties wrote a joint letter to the Central government demanding the withdrawal of these three farm laws.

This time, too, the Congress is trying to unite the opposition parties in the winter session. The party has entrusted this responsibility to the Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge.

After the withdrawal of all three farm laws, Congress President Sonia Gandhi said, "After nearly 12 months of peaceful protests, today the struggle and will power of 62 crore 'Annadatas', farmers and farm labourers of the country have finally won. Today the sacrifices of more than 700 farmers' families paid off, whose family members sacrificed their lives in this struggle for truth, justice and non-violence which ultimately won. I hope that farmers will pay attention to implementation of welfare policies, ensure crop produce at MSP rates and before taking any such step by the Union government in future, all state governments, farmer organizations and opposition parties will be taken into consideration."

IANS