New Delhi: Congress on Monday announced to launch a nationwide demonstration, starting from September 24, against the Central Government for passing agriculture bills in Parliament, under which 2 crore signatures of farmers will be collected against the proposed legislation.
The decision was taken in a meeting of Congress' General Secretaries, State-in charges and Special Committee to chalk out a strategy for further course of action of the party to oppose farm bills.
While addressing the media, Congress senior leader AK Antony said, "Congress party is launching an agitation against this government for passing these anti-farmer, anti-people laws, throwing all the convention and rules of Rajya Sabha, Lok Sabha and also has passed it. So, from September 24th onwards, Congress party is launching and all India agitation asking the government to repeal these black laws."
On 24th of September, Congress' General Secretaries, in charges and senior leaders will hold Press Conferences in all state headquarters followed by a protest on September 28, for which Pradesh Congress Committee Chiefs along with MPs and MLAs will walk up to Governor's office to submit a memorandum against these bills.
The Birth Anniversary of Mahatama Gandhi and Lal Bahadur Shastri, on October 2, Congress would observe "Kisan-Mazdoor Bachao Divas" (Save farmers and Farm labourers Day) by holding Dharnas and marches at Assembly Headquarters and District Headquarters across the country.
In the end, Congress will submit those 2 crore collected signatures will be submitted to the President of India on November 14.
Senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel said, "This Government has destroyed the democratic system. These agricultural bills are neither in the interest of the state government for the farmers. We raised our voice against this in Parliament and will now take that to the streets."
Congress General Secretary incharge KC Venugopal also mentioned about the ruckus created in Rajya Sabha during the passage of agriculture bills, saying, "The way,
in which Government is bulldozing anti-farmers law in Parliament, is totally unacceptable to the country. What we had witnessed in Rajya Sabha yesterday and today, we didn't expect this type of attitude from a democratic Government."
"This type of bill, which is going to have serious apprehensions among the farmers of the country, there should be a parallel discussion," he further added.
On a question over Shiromani Akali Dal's stand on these farm bills, Congress General Secretary and Chief Spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala replied, "SAD is acting with doublespeak and political dishonesty. Is it not true that Harsimrat Kaur Badal Ji was a Minister when these black laws but passed in the cabinet and she assented to that? Is it not true that between June to September, these people supported the laws, and now they suddenly resigned due to the fear of people? Why they are still a part of NDA?"
Surjewala also took a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his latest tweet, saying, "If a PM doesn't even know the difference between Rabi crops and Kharif crops, how can we expect welfare of farmers from him?"
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