New Delhi/Lucknow: Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Sunday said people who have “suffered false rhetoric” in the past are not ready to believe the words of the prime minister on repealing the farm laws.
He said this as farmer unions decided to continue their year-long agitation at Delhi’s borders even after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the decision to withdraw the three farm laws.
“People who have suffered false rhetoric are not ready to believe the words of the PM. Farmers’ Satyagraha continues,” Gandhi said in a tweet in Hindi, using the hashtag “#FarmersProtest continues”.
Farmers have been protesting on Delhi’s borders for the past year seeking the withdrawal of the three laws.
The farmer unions have said that they will continue their agitation till the three central laws are repealed by Parliament and legislation on a legal guarantee of MSP is brought in.
Meanwhile, the Samajwadi Party on Sunday expressed apprehension that the three contentious farm laws will be brought again after the 2022 assembly elections, citing the statements made by Rajasthan Governor Kalraj Mishra and BJP MP from Unnao Sakshi Maharaj on them.
Both Mishra and Maharaj told reporters on Saturday that the laws can be brought again, if needed
On Friday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that the Centre will repeal the three farm laws after the nearly year-long agitation by a section of farmers, mostly from Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh.
Farmer leaders said the protesters will stay put at border areas of Delhi until the Centre formally repeals these laws in Parliament and indicated their stir for a statutory guarantee of MSP and withdrawal of the Electricity Amendment Bill will continue.
In a tweet in Hindi, the Samajwadi Party charged, “It is absolutely clear that their heart is not clean, and after the elections, the bills will be brought again. Occupying the constitutional posts, Governor of Rajasthan Kalraj Mishra and BJP MP Sakshi Maharaj have said that the BJP government may bring the bill for farm laws.”
“This is the truth of those tendering false apologies to farmers. The farmers will bring a change in 2022,” the SP said in the tweet.
Mishra on Saturday said in Bhadohi that efforts were made to make the farmers understand the provisions of the farm laws, and positive aspects, but the farmers were demanding the withdrawal of the three farm laws and were protesting against them. Eventually, the government felt that the laws be withdrawn, and if there is a need to make the laws again, it will be done.
“The farmers were continuously demanding that the farm laws be withdrawn, and it was done in a very civilised manner. It is a good step and appropriate decision,” Mishra said.
Speaking to reporters in Unnao on Saturday, BJP MP Maharaj said, “Bills are made and repealed. They will come again, and will be made again. It hardly takes any time (Bills to bante rehte hai, bigarhte rehte hai…vaapas aajaayenge, dobaaraa ban jaayenge…koi der nahi lagtee hai). But, I would thank Modiji that he displayed a big heart, and he chose the Nation over the laws. And those whose intentions were wrong, those who had raised slogans of Pakistan zindaabaad and Khalistan zindabad, they have got a befitting reply.”
He also categorically stated that there is no connection between the announcement of repealing of the farm laws with the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections 2022.
“In the UP 2022 Assembly elections, the BJP will cross the 300 mark in the (403-member) UP Legislative Assembly. In India, there is no substitute of (Prime Minister) Modi and (UP Chief Minister) Yogi Adityanath. Their magic will stay,” he said.
