New Delhi: Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi’s old video declaring that the government will be “forced” to take back the three contentious agrarian laws is going viral on social media after Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday announced the Centre’s decision to repeal the legislation.
In an old video clip shared by Rahul Gandhi in January 2021, the Wayanad MP can be heard saying: “Mark my words, take it from me. These laws.. the government will be forced to take them back, remember what I said”.
As the video was being shared widely on social media, especially by Congress supporters, Rahul also shared the clip again and wrote: “Nation’s ‘annadatas’ (food providers) have made arrogance bow its head through satyagraha. Congratulations on this victory against injustice!”
Meanwhile, the Congress party has decided to observe ‘Kisan Vijay Diwas’ across the country on Saturday by organising victory rallies on behalf of farmers.
Congress leaders will also visit families of over 700 farmers who had died during the protests and will organise candle marches and rallies to pray for the departed souls, news agency PTI reported.
All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary (organisation) KC Venugopal asked all state units to organise rallies and candle marches at state, district, and block levels.
In a letter to the party’s state unit chiefs, the AICC general secretary said that the repeal of the three “draconian” farm laws is a victory of the farmers and a result of farmers’ protests, their sacrifices and the yearlong uncompromising fight of a united opposition led by the Congress party and Rahul Gandhi.
“This collective victory over evil is humbly dedicated to all the annadatas of our country,” he wrote,as quoted by PTI.
The Congress will observe 'Kisan Vijay Diwas' on November 20 “in recognition of the consistent and spirited fight of the farmers against the flawed decisions of the tyrannical government, which led to the repeal of the farm laws”, KC Venugupal stated.
“Let us extensively organise programmes to join the nation in observing this as a historic victory of the farmers. Mark the victory of the farmers' struggle by visiting families of shaheed farmers in our areas,” he added.
This comes as earlier today, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a major surprise announcement, said that the Union government has decided to repeal the contentious agrarian laws which have been at the centre of farmers’ protests at Delhi borders going to complete one year on November 26.
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Hundreds of farmers, mainly from Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh, are encamped at Delhi borders since November last year demanding that the government repeal the three agrarian laws -- Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020; Farmers' (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020; and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020.
Apart from the repeal of farm laws, a legal guarantee on Minimum Support Price (MSP) has been one of the major demands of the farmers.
“I have come to tell you that we have decided to repeal the three farm laws. In the upcoming Parliament session starting at the end of this month, we will complete the constitutional process to repeal the three farm laws,” PM Modi said, addressing the nation on the occasion of Guru Nanak Jayanti.
He also requested all protesting farmers to return home to their fields and families and make a new beginning on this auspicious occasion, a day when gurudwaras across the country are lit up to celebrate the festival.
“Let us move forward afresh,” he appealed.
(With Agency Inputs)