'Death Of Over 60 Farmers Doesn't Embarrass Modi Govt But Tractor Rally Does,' Rahul Gandhi's Fresh Salvo

The centre had filed an affidavit to the Supreme Court stating that "Republic Day parade disruption will be an embarrassment to the nation". Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi has attacked the Narendra Modi government over the same.

File Photo

New Delhi: Former Congress President Rahul Gandhi took to Twitter to attack the Narendra Modi-led union government for opposing the farmers' tractor rally.  Farmers have been planning to intensify their agitation with a Tractor rally planned to happen on Republic Day. The centre filed an affidavit to the Supreme Court stating that "Republic Day parade disruption will be an embarrassment to the nation". "The right to protest can never include maligning the nation globally," it added. Reacting to the same, Wayanad MP Rahul Gandhi attacked the central government in his tweet. "Martyrdom of more than 60 farmers (annadatas) didn't embarrass the Modi government but the tractor rally is embarrassing them," Rahul Gandhi wrote. According to the protesters, more than 60 farmers have died during the agitation that began late November. These include those who died by suicide and those who succumbed to their ailment caused by the bitter winter season. In its affidavit, the government further wrote: "Agitation by farmers may not be treated as a reflection on the validity of the farm laws or its efficacy for the farmers community". The Supreme Court on Tuesday put a stay on the implementation of agrarian laws until further orders while also constituting a 4-member committee to resolve the matter. The 4-member committee will constitute the President of Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) Bhupinder Singh Maan, Agricultural economist Ashok Gulati, President of Shetkari Sangathan Anil Ghanwat, and International policy head Dr. Pramod Joshi. This has once again become a bone of contention as the 4 members are said to have previously expressed support for the recently passed legislation. Farmer leaders had on Tuesday claimed that the government had the committee made through the Supreme Court and echoing these concerns, even the Congress party is calling the SC committee to be a partisan one.

Forming this committee must have been a real challenge. How to find four people from among the very few in the country supporting the farm bills to be in it? They managed that; now how will they manage to find a solution with four minds already made up? https://t.co/rAJuUAXFv6

— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) January 12, 2021

Meanwhile, regarding the proposed tractor rally by farmers, the Supreme Court issued a notice on the application filed by the Delhi Police seeking to stop it. The issue raised by the union government against the tractor rally will be heard by the top court in the coming days. WATCH | SC should review order on Farm Laws: Digvijaya Singh