Rahul pulls a Vajpayee, drives tractor to Parliament to protest farm laws
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday, flanked by other party leaders, stormed into the Parliament premises driving a red tractor, lending a symbolic support to the farmers protesting against the three agricultural laws.
“I’ve brought farmers’ message to Parliament. They (government) are suppressing voices of farmers and not letting a discussion take place in Parliament. They’ll have to repeal these black laws. The entire country knows these laws favour two to three big businessmen,” ANI quoted Rahul as saying.
“As per government, farmers are very happy and those (protesting farmers) sitting outside are terrorists. But in reality, farmers’ rights are being snatched away,” he said.
We oppose these laws. We’ll make sure Govt is forced to take back these laws. We are standing with the farmers, we will help them and ensure the BJP Govt takes back these laws: Shri @RahulGandhi#RahulGandhiWithFarmers pic.twitter.com/zDdfgdvE5U
— Congress (@INCIndia) July 26, 2021
“If you force us to sell our farm lands, then tractors will run in Parliament – we will grow the crop of truth. Take back the anti-farmer laws,” Rahul tweeted sharing a photo of his tractor march.
The Congress leader’s statement was reminiscent of former prime minister’s Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s act of driving a bullock cart into the House premises in protest against the rising prices of petrol and kerosene during the regime of then prime minister Indira Gandhi in 1973.
The BJP, on the other hand, has termed the Congress’ protests against the farm laws a political tool to curry flavor among the farming community.
“Rahul Gandhi is playing politics. Farmers are being used as a political tool. The Centre has said if there are issues with the laws it is ready to rework them. They are ready for talks,” NDTV quoted BJP MP Vinay Sahasrabuddhe as saying.
While thousands of farmers have been protesting against the three contentious farm laws at the national capital’s borders since November last year, the government recently gave them permission to hold staggered protests at Jantar Mantar during while the monsoon session of Parliament is in operation.
Many rounds of discussion of the farmers with the government over the farm laws have yielded no results with the former asking nothing short of a repeal of the legislations.