The Congress on Wednesday stepped up its attack on the BJP over MP Kangana Ranaut’s comments calling for the rollback of the three farm laws with Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi demanding that Prime Minister Narendra Modi clarify whether he was against the comments. or “to some degree”.
The opposition party demanded that the actor-politician be kicked out by the ruling party if they do not agree with their speech.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge also hit out at the BJP over Ranaut’s comments and said that poll-bound states, including Haryana, would give the ruling party a befitting reply.
Ranaut on Wednesday retracted his remarks calling for the rollback of the three agriculture laws and said it was his personal opinion and did not represent the party’s stand.
The actor-politician said that he should remember that he is not only an artist but also a BJP member now and his statement should be in line with the party’s policies.
The Congress on Tuesday showed in X a video in which Ranaut said in Hindi, “Agriculture Act which has been repealed should be brought back. I think this can be controversial. The law in the interests of farmers should be brought back. Farmers themselves should demand this (to restore farm law) so that there are no obstacles to prosperity.
“Farmers are a pillar of strength in India’s progress. Only in some countries, they oppose the farm law. I request with folded hands that the farm law should be brought back for the benefit of farmers,” he said.
In a video statement, Gandhi said, “BJP people keep trying ideas. They ask people to voice their ideas among themselves and then see the reaction. This is what happened, one of the MPs has talked about reviving the three black farm laws. Modi ji you should clarify, are you against this or are you doing evil. Will these three farm laws be revived or not? I guarantee that 700 people will be martyred together -remembered and respected,” he said.
“Modi ji will not allow two minutes of silence, we will never forget this,” he said.
In a post in Hindi on X along with his video, Gandhi said, “Who decides the government’s policy? BJP MPs or Prime Minister Modi?” Even after the martyrdom of more than 700 farmers, especially farmers from Haryana and Punjab, BJP people are not satisfied. INDIA will not allow BJP’s conspiracy against our farmers to succeed – If there is any move to harm farmers, Modi ji should apologize again,” the Congress leader said.
In a clear response to Ranaut’s statement, Kharge said, “Even after the martyrdom of 750 farmers, the anti-farmer BJP and the Modi government do not understand the magnitude of the crime! There is talk of re-implementation of the three blacks of the anti-farmer law. The Congress party is strongly opposed to this.” 62 crore farmers will never forget that the Modi government crushed the farmers under their vehicles, used barbed wire, tear gas from drones, nails and guns against them.
“This time, poll-bound states, including Haryana, will give a befitting reply to the insulting comments, calling farmers ‘andolanjeevi’ and ‘parasites’, thrown by the prime minister himself in Parliament,” the Congress leader said in a post. in Hindi. .
“Because of Modi ji’s statements, ministers, MPs and the propaganda machine are used to insulting farmers,” he said.
“In 10 years, the Modi government has broken three promises made to the country’s food producers” doubling farmers’ income by 2022, implementing input costs + 50% MSP as per the Swaminathan Report and legal guarantees for MSP,” Kharge said.
“When the farmers’ agitation was withdrawn, Modi ji had announced a government committee, which is still in storage. The Modi government is against the legal guarantee of MSP,” he said.
No relief has been given to the families of the slain farmers and the Modi government has not deemed it fit to hold a two-minute silence in their memory in Parliament, Kharge said.
Also, the character assassination is constant, he said.
The entire country has come to know that “anti-farmer hatred” exists in every section of the BJP, the Congress president added.
Asked about Ranaut’s remarks, Congress spokesperson Shaktisinh Gohil said, “More than 750 were martyred and this is an insult to the martyrs. If I make a serious statement that does not suit my party, the party will expel me, will the BJP expel them? If you don’t agree with what he said, why don’t you expel him? “My request is that BJP should expel him and if they don’t, the clear and obvious message is that Modi and BJP are insulting the memory of the martyred farmers, they are insulting the farmers and they want to benefit for his friends. to bring back the three agricultural laws,” Gohil said at a press conference here.
The Acts – Farmers Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act; The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Act; and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act – repealed in November 2021.
Farmers’ protests began at the end of November 2020 and ended after Parliament repealed the three laws. The law came into effect in June 2020 and was repealed in November 2021.
(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from the feed of syndicated news agency – PTI)
