Farm laws will leave 40% of population jobless: RG

Former Congress party president Rahul Gandhi continued his sharp attack on PM Modi and his government on Friday, saying if the farm laws are implemented it will leave 40% of the country’s population unemployed.

Addressing a Kisan Mahapanchayat at Pilibanga in Hanumangarh and Padampura in Sriganganagar districts of Rajasthan, Gandhi reiterated his opposition to the farm laws, saying the first law will finish mandis, the second will finish the essential commodities act and encourage hoarding while the third will deny farmer justice by keeping him away from the courts.

Gandhi said Modi does not understand the power of India’s farmers and labourers. “Now the farmers, traders and labourers are going to show their strength.” In keeping with the rustic setting, ‘charpais’ were placed on the stage instead of chairs and sofas at Pilibanga while ‘mudhas’ (stools) in Padampura.

The Congress rift was also evident during Gandhi’s visit. While Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, Rajasthan incharge Ajay Maken and state Congress president Govind Singh Dotasara were seated on the dais at both meetings, former deputy CM Sachin Pilot, who is neither a minister nor state Congress chief, also found a place on the dais, leading to buzz within political circles about the respect given him in the party.

Pilot did not speak in Pilibanga and made a 5minute speech at Padampur. Interestingly, the official press release by Dotasara after Gandhi’s meetings made no mention of Pilot’s speech.

Meanwhile, welcoming Gandhi to Rajasthan, state BJP president Satish Poonia tweeted, sharing Gandhi’s 2018 speech showing him counting from 1 to 10 and said if Congress came to power, farm loans would be waived in 10 days. Poonia said 2 dozen state farmers have ended lives waiting for Congress to fulfil its promise.

After Gandhi’s speeches, Poonia said Gandhi avoided any reference to the Congress’s promise of loan waiver but made baseless comments on the farm laws and misled people on the China issue and made unparliamentary remarks against the PM. And a Congress charpai also broke in the meeting, which means it was a failure.

In his speech, Gandhi said agriculture is the world’s biggest business and 40% of India’s population is linked to agriculture, whether farmers, small traders, shopkeepers, labourers or middlemen.

“Since independence, the Congress’s effort has been to see this business should not get concentrated in one person’s hands but should remain in the hands of 40% of the population,” he said.