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Rahul Gandhi backs farmers' 'satyagraha against govt', plugs freedom struggle
"Farmers are upholding our freedom by ensuring food security and nutrition for our children," the video shared by Gandhi states.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday launched another attack against the government over the ongoing farmers' stir against the three contentious agricultural laws and said that the food-providers of the country are holding a Satyagraha against the arrogant Modi government for their rights.
"Today, the entire country is raising its voice against the atrocities on farmers and rise in prices of petrol and diesel. You too join and become a part of this Satyagraha," Gandhi said in a tweet and shared a video.
The Wayanad MP has drawn a parallel between the current protests by thousands of farmers and India's freedom struggle in the years leading to 1947.
Thousands of farmers are camping on Delhi's borders since November last year demanding the rollback of three laws, which they allege will directly strike a blow on their earnings by reducing them significantly and give leverage to corporations in the market.
The video shared by Gandhi plugs the Indian freedom struggle and says that Independent India is an outcome of years of sacrifice and valour by country's ancestors and revered freedom fighters. "Their commitment to free, sovereign plural and egalitarian India was absolute. Now it is your chance to support those values by supporting 62,000 farmers," the video states, adding that the laws have been bulldozed by the 'autocratic Modi government'.
"Farmers are upholding our freedom by ensuring food security and nutrition for our children," the video shared by Gandhi mentions.
The video also pans the fuel prices under the current government and state that the prices have hit a 73-year-high.
The Congress leader's swipe at the government comes on the day farmers are slated to attend the ninth round of talks with the government amid indication that it may be last such meeting with the Centre. The farm union leaders have said that they don't have much hope as they will not settle for anything less than the repeal of the contentious farm laws.
In a symbolic statement of disagreement with the laws, the farmers have given a clarion call to carry out a march on Republic Day. "Our plan for January 26 is that we will take out a procession from Red Fort to India Gate. We will hoist the flag where we meet at the Amar Jawan Jyoti. It will be a historic scene where from one side we will have 'kisan' and the other side 'jawan'," Rakesh Tikait, BKU spokesperson told news agency ANI.
Since a Supreme Court-appointed panel on farm laws is likely to hold its first meeting on January 19, the meeting on Friday between with the government and the unions may be the last one.
The three laws have been projected by the Centre as major reforms in the agriculture sector that will remove middlemen and allow farmers to sell their produce anywhere in the country.
