Congress stages nationwide protest on farm laws; leaders and workers detained by police

Congress, one of main opposition parties opposing farm reform bills, has called for all India protest against farm laws on Monday. Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh is set to observe a sit-in protest against three farm laws at Khatkar Kalan in Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar. Also, protestors set a tractor ablaze near India Gate in Delhi on Monday morning during protests against farm reform laws.

Delhi Presh Congress Committee (DPCC) h tried to organise a protest at Rajghat, which was not allowed by authorities. Congress workers gared to raise anti-government slogans but were detained by Delhi Police. Congress leer Udit Raj who h joined protest was also detained by police. y h planned to march till Raj Niwas to mark ir protest against recently passed farm bills that have become laws now after President's ascension.

re were attempts of protests in or parts of country. In morning, Gujarat Congress president Amit Chavda, Leer of Opposition Paresh Dhanani, Congress MLAs Baldevji Thakor, C J Chavda and or party workers gared at Ambedkar statue near Assembly complex and raised slogans against BJP-led governments at Centre and in Gujarat to protest against farm laws. Nearly 100 Congress workers, including Chavda, were detained in Gandhinagar as y staged a protest.

In Uttar Presh's Lucknow, Congress workers staged a protest in Parivartan Chowk against farm bills but were detained by Police officials. UP Congress chief Ajay Kumar Lallu was also detained over protest.

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Opposition vs Centre over farm reforms laws

President Ram Nath Kovind on Sunday gave assent gave his assent to all three Farm Bills passed by Parliament last week. Protest against three laws continued on Sunday, with protestors in Punjab sitting on Amritsar-Delhi railway track. 

While Congress has maintained that new laws will le to removal of minimum support price (MSP) mechanism leaving farmers at mercy of corporates and big companies,  Centre including Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on multiple occasions has countered opposition's allegations by elaborating that new laws will not have any impact MSP mechanism.

previous agriculture laws bounded farmers to sell ir produce in government-regulated Mandis which saw a high level of corruption at hands of Mandi regulators and middlemen. Centre asserted that new laws have freed farmers from depending on Mandis and middlemen as farmers will now be able to sell ir produce directly. However, farmers still have option to sell ir produce in Mandis too if y wish to.