‘In this new nation…’: Priyanka Gandhi Vadra slams Centre over farm laws, Article 370 repeal

Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra claimed the Centre was forced to repeal farm laws due to incoming elections.

Published on: Apr 20, 2024, 13:05:56 IST

By HT News Desk

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Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Saturday lashed out at the Narendra Modi government over several issues including the farmers protest and Article 370 abrogation in Jammu and Kashmir.

“In this 'new' nation, laws are enacted bypassing the process of democracy and enforced upon people against their will. Lakhs of farmers protested for months, some of them died, and some of them were called terrorists, and anti-national, yet they continued their protest,” Vadra was quoted by PTI as saying at a rally in Kerala's Thrissur.

Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. (X/Congress)

The Modi government had introduced three farm laws that were passed by parliament in 2020. The enactment of farm laws triggered an year-long protest with a section of farmers from Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh who camped at borders surrounding Delhi.

In 2021, Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his address to the nation announced his decision to repeal the three farm laws.

During the rally in Thrissur, Vadra also invoked the abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir, saying,“In this 'new' nation, their voices remain unheard until the government is compelled to repeal the laws due to upcoming elections. In this 'new' nation, an entire state is knocked down without internet and phone services for months. Thousands go on hunger strike to demand their rights in Ladakh,” she added.

Kerala, which sends 20 MPs to the Lok Sabha, will vote in the second phase of Lok Sabha elections on April 26. The Congress is in direct contest with CPM-led Left Front in the state, despite both the parties being members of the opposition INDIA alliance. Rahul Gandhi is contesting election from Wayanad, a seat he won in 2019.

In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, while the Congress party had won 15 seats, its allies, the Indian Union Muslim League, won two seats, the Revolutionary Socialist Party won one, and the Kerala Congress (M) won one seat. The Communist Party of India (Marxist) won one seat in Alappuzha.

(With PTI, ANI inputs)

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HT News Desk
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