New Delhi: Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Friday attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Union government over protesting farmers’ demand on compensation for kin of protestors who died in the year-long agitation against contentious agrarian laws.
Addressing a press conference, Rahul Gandhi said: “A question was asked in Parliament whether government proposes to provide financial assistance to the kin of farmers who died during the farmers’ agitation. Ministry answers that the Ministry of Agriculture has no record in the matter and hence the question doesn’t arise”.
“We have 403 people who government of Punjab has compensated Rs 5 Lakhs each and has given jobs to 152. We also have a list of 100 names from other states and a third list which is public info of names that can easily be verified. But government says that such a list does not exist,” the Wayanad MP added, as quoted by news agency ANI.
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Cornering Centre over the issue, he further stated that “PM himself has said that he has made a mistake, he has apologised to the nation. As a result of that mistake, 700 people have died. Now you are lying about their names. Why don’t you have the decency to give them what is their due?”.
The attack comes after, earlier the day, Rahul attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Twitter demanding that he address in parliament, the demands like the sacking of Union MoS Ajay Mishra over Lakhimpur case, compensation for “martyred” farmers, “false cases against Satyagrahis”, law on MSP, etc.
“Without it, forgiveness is incomplete!” he wrote.
Shortly after the press conference, the former Congress President delivered another salvo directed at PM Modi, writing: “Modi ji only has the numbers of his industrialist friends. We have the names and numbers of the martyred farmers. If you really want to apologise, call these families, listen to their suffering, and pay compensation. The Congress government in Punjab did so without mistake on humanitarian grounds”.
On Wednesday, the Union government had told Parliament that it had “no record” of the number of farmers who died during the year-long protests against the three farm laws and hence there was no question of providing financial assistance to anyone.
“The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmer's Welfare has no record in the matter and hence the question does not arise,” Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Tomar said in reply to a question on whether the government proposed to provide financial assistance to the kin of farmers who died during the agitation.
Farmer unions and Opposition leaders have claimed that 700 farmers, mostly from Punjab, Haryana, and western Uttar Pradesh, lost their lives during the protests.
SKM’s Six Demands
Following PM Modi’s announcement on farm laws repeal, Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) had written an open letter to the Prime Minister pressing on remaining demands besides the repeal of contentious agrarian laws.
In its letter, the SKM listed six demands of agitating farmers which include law on Minimum Support Price (MSP), sacking and arrest of Union Minister of State for Home Ajay Mishra in connection with Lakhimpur Kheri incident, withdrawal of cases against farmers, and building of a memorial for those who lost their lives during the agitation.
The union body also sought for the Union government to immediately resume talks with farmers.
The Morcha had demanded that cases lodged against farmers during the anti-farm laws agitation be withdrawn immediately. Furthermore, it said that families of farmers who died during the agitation should get rehabilitation support and compensation.
(With Agency Inputs)