Rahul Gandhi has extended full support to the peaceful Bharat Bandh, today and the party reaffirmed his support to protesting farmers.
The Congress party stands with farmers seeking withdrawal of three controversial farm laws that they allege will give power to private firms to take over the agriculture sector and usurping their lands. The protest has been on for 10 months.
The Congress has asked all its workers, state unit chiefs, and heads of frontal organizations to take part in the Bharat Bandh.
“Farmers’ non-violent satyagraha is intact even today, but the exploitative government does not like this and that is why we have Bharat Bandh today,” posted Rahul Gandhi in Hindi in a Haiku-like tweet. The Congress leader ended his tweet with a declarative #IStandWithFarmers.
Srinivas, National President of Youth Congress shared a video of a truck driver during the strike as apparently the nation is supporting the farmers and sympathy is rising for their plight.
“The name of the farmers is infamous,
~ Here we charge Rs 300 for entry”
The attempt was to defame the ‘farmers’,
But the truck driver turned out to be ‘conscience’.
"किसानों का नाम बदनाम है,
~ यहाँ Rs 300 लेते हैं एंट्री के लिए"कोशिस थी 'किसानों' को बदनाम करने की,
लेकिन ट्रक ड्राइवर 'ज़मीर' वाला निकला… pic.twitter.com/nOGy39P6my— Srinivas BV (@srinivasiyc) September 27, 2021
The Congress party also held a bicycle rally protest in Bengaluru due to the soaring fuel prices.
Skyrocketing Fuel & LPG prices because of Modi tax, expensive daily needs; how much longer will the Modi govt loot India?
Joined Bicycle rally Protest in Bengaluru today organized by @nalapad. @AnilTpyc @DwivediSurbhi pic.twitter.com/tLz7GDZm0I
— Srinivas BV (@srinivasiyc) September 26, 2021
The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM), an umbrella body of over 40 farm unions, is leading the 6 am-4 pm protest today. The group has said they will not allow movement on some sections of national highways.
Government and private offices, educational and other institutions, shops, industries, and commercial establishments will be closed across the country, the SKM said. However, demonstrators have insisted that emergency services won’t be affected.
Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Rakesh Tikait on Sunday said farmers are ready to protest for 10 years, but will not allow the “black” legislation to be implemented.
The government has offered to amend the laws after talks with farmers. The farm laws are in fact beneficial for farmers as some of the provisions cut out middlemen, who exploit farmers, it has argued.
Farmers from different parts of the country, especially Punjab, Haryana and Western Uttar Pradesh, have been protesting along the state border in Delhi since November last year.