Cong will scrap farm laws if it comes to power: Priyanka
MEERUT: Attacking the Centre over the new farm laws, Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Wednesday said her party, if voted to power, would abolish the ‘draconian laws’.
Addressing farmers’ ‘mahapanchayat’ in Chilkana area of Saharanpur in Western UP on Wednesday, Priyanka said those mocking farmers and describing them as ‘ deshdrohi’ can’t be ‘ deshbhakt’.
She arrived at mahapanchayat after offering prayers at Shakumbhari Devi temple and also visited Dargah of Hazrat Raipuri.
She started her address by connecting it to the story of ‘Ma Shakumbhari’ who is believed to have saved people from a severe famine created by a demon.
“I have come here after seeking blessings of Ma Shakumbhari”, she said while dubbing three farm laws as demonic.
“Congress would abolish these draconian laws after coming to power.”
Targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi, she said, “PM’s 56-inch chest has a small heart which beats only for his billionaire friends.”
“These three laws were drafted in such a way that government `mandis’ will eventually close down, the farmers will not get the MSP (minimum support price) and there will be hoarding,” she said.
“In other words, the farmers’ voice will become weak, and the voice of billionaires will grow stronger,” she said.
CONG GENERAL SECRETARY ALSO VISITED THE FAMILY OF NISHANT SHARMA IN SAHARANPUR, WHO SACRIFICED HIS LIFE RECENTLY IN J&K
She said people can’t trust a person who has sold many government companies, including railways. Alleging that the PM promised payment of sugarcane dues of over Rs 15,000 crore but purchased two airplanes for himself with over Rs 16,000 crore, Priyanka said the government was now spending Rs 20,000 crore in constructing a new Parliament.
Priyanka reminded people that it was Jawahar Lal Nehru who had enacted the law to prevent ‘hoarding’ in 1955 but this government has abolished it to help its capitalist friends who will now decide the price of grain.
Earlier, villagers gave her rousing welcome on entire route of Chilkana.
She also visited the family of Nishant Sharma in Saharanpur, who sacrificed his life recently in Jammu and Kashmir. She also met widow of Qazi Rasheed Masood at her home.
UPCC president Ajay Kumar Lallu, party leader Imran Masood, MLA from Behat Naresh Saini and Masood Akhtar (Saharanpur Dehat) were among those who accompanied her.
Party’s district president in Saharanpur Muzaffar Ali Gurjar said, “We didn’t seek permission for the event because it was a ‘ Kisan Mahapanchayat’.
He said party wanted to do Kisan Samvad on February 8 at Gandhi Park in Saharanpur city, but the administration denied permission and we had to cancel it.
Meanwhile, drones were deployed to keep a close watch on the event and elaborate security arrangements were made to maintain law and order.