‘Modi Govt Bringing Farm Infrastructure Down’: Rahul Gandhi’s Farmers Rally Comes to a Close

Hitting out at the media, Gandhi said,“At a certain level, frankly, you are not doing your job. It is easy to say weak opposition But my friend, you are walking into slavery.”

Mohali: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s Kisan Bachao (Save Farmers) rally concluded in Haryana’s Kurukshetra on Tuesday. Before reaching Haryana, Gandhi first held a press conference in Patiala. After the conference, his tractor rally was briefly halted at the Punjab-Haryana border by the Bharatiya Janata Party-ruled Haryana government. Later, Gandhi and other leaders were let in to the state.

At the press conference, Gandhi talked a little about his rally and quickly opened the floor for questions. For the first time, he also spoke about his visit to Hathras. He said, “The entire country is being pushed, doesn’t matter if I got pushed a little by the UP Police.”

He added that the grave injustice meted out to the family of the Dalit victim is “unimaginable”.

“Supposed someone killed your son, and you went to seek justice. You are locked up in your home, a district magistrate comes to your house and threatens you and tells you that if you open your mouth, the whole village will turn against you. Do  you  get a sense of how you would feel? This is how that family has felt,” he said.

Answering questions on the farm Acts, Gandhi said, “Under the Modi government unemployment has risen, the job infrastructure has collapsed. Now, they are ready to bring the farming infrastructure down as well. If this happens, then on the one hand there will be no jobs, and on the other there will be no food.”

He reiterated that the current farming infrastructure has loopholes and needs to be strengthened.

When questioned about his absence from the parliament when the farm Acts were being discussed, Gandhi said, “My mother (Sonia Gandhi) had gone for a medical check-up and my sister could not go with her because some members of her staff tested positive [for coronavirus]. I am also her son after all, and I have to look after her.”

Rahul also spoke about India-China standoff and said that the reason why Prime Minister Modi is not accepting that the Chinese have entered Indian territory is because he is concerned about his image. “The Chinese know that this man is concerned about his image, so he will let go of 1200 sq km of land just to save his image,” Gandhi told reporters.

Also read: An Ingenious Legislative Approach for States to Undo the Doom Spelled by Central Farm Laws

Gandhi also hit out at Modi’s record of not holding press conferences.

“He is scared of the media for the same reason he is scared of China. He thinks both will ruin his image. He is only obsessed with his image,” Gandhi said.

Answering a question on why the opposition was “weak” and not doing its job properly, Gandhi gave a strongly worded answer which is being widely shared on social media. He said, “Opposition in any country functions within a framework. The framework includes the press and the judicial system. That entire framework has been captured.”

“If the entire institutional architecture is captured, then to say it is a weak opposition is not correct,” he added

Hitting out at the media, Gandhi said,“At a certain level, frankly, you are not doing your job. It is easy to say weak opposition But my friend, you are walking into slavery.”

Saying that he “owes a debt to Punjab”, Gandhi said that when Indira Gandhi lost elections in 1977,  “there were only Sikhs” in his home.

He said, “I remember that. I feel like I owe a debt to the people of Punjab.”

Gandhi also said he will always stand by people against whom injustice is being done.

“I have been abused and beaten up. But if I feel injustice is being done in Punjab, I will stand here. If I feel injustice is being done to the Dalit girl in Hathras, I will stand there,” he said.

High drama at Haryana-Punjab border

As Gandhi’s tractor rally reached the Punjab-Haryana border, the Haryana police heightened security in the area. The police told reporters that they won’t allow more than 100 people to gather at one spot because of COVID-19 related instructions.

Ahead of Gandhi’s tractor rally in Haryana, the BJP-led government on Monday had said the Congress leader can bring a few people to the state but it will not permit a big crowd from Punjab which can “disturb” the atmosphere.

Chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar said Gandhi has the right to put forth his views but “if he comes with a big procession from Punjab, we won’t allow it”.

Haryana’s home minister Anil Vij had said if Gandhi comes with “a big crowd from Punjab to disturb Haryana’s atmosphere, then we will not permit it. We are not going to allow that”.

While Gandhi and other Congress leaders were stopped at the border, Gandhi said that he will not move from the spot until the Haryana police and the administration let him in.

After the drama at the border, state authorities allowed Rahul Gandhi and a few party leaders to enter the state as part of his rally.

He was accompanied on the tractor by Punjab Congress president Sunil Jakhar and senior party leader Harish Rawat.

(With inputs from PTI)