Congress' tractor burning at India Gate condemned: 'What Andolan is this?' asks Javadekar

Union Minister Prakash Javadekar on Monday condemned the burning of a tractor near India Gate in New Delhi and accused the Congress of creating a scene over the agriculture reforms to ‘gain media attention’. Javadekar said ‘Congress has embarrassed the nation’ by burning the vehicle in the heart of Delhi to protest against the new farm bills that were passed in the Parliament last week.

“The Congress drama has been exposed today. Their political motives are apparent. The party had mentioned the same reform in its manifesto. Congress is a hypocrite and hence it is losing ground,” he told ANI.

Condemning the protest at India Gate, the Union Minister said, “What sort of Andolan is this? The tractor was burnt at India Gate only to gain media attention. I thank the media channels who played the incident. Congress stands exposed today.”

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Protestors chanting pro-Congres slogans burn tractor at India Gate

A tractor was set on fire near India Gate in Delhi on Monday morning during protests against the controversial farm laws, which have triggered widespread demonstrations across the country. The police removed the tractor after dousing the fire.

Nearly 20 people gathered at the central Delhi location around 7 am and set an old tractor on fire. According to the police, the protesters had raised pro-Congress slogans. The police are trying to identify those involved. The Punjab Youth Congress live-streamed the protest at India Gate on its official Facebook page.

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President Ram Nath Kovind on Sunday gave assent gave his assent to all three Farm Bills passed by the Parliament last week that have led to farmer agitation in Punjab and Haryana among other parts of the country. The agriculture bills include - Essential Commodities (Amendment) 2020, The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm services Act 2020 and the Farmers' produce trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act 2020.

The Opposition has criticised the three bills terming in ‘anti-farmer’ and alleged that they were passed in violation of the rules. The government has asserted that these bills will allow farmers to sell their produce anywhere they want at a better price. Farmers have expressed apprehension that the Centre's farm reforms would dismantle the minimum support price system, leaving them at the "mercy" of big companies.

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