Rahul Gandhi submits '2 cr signatures' to President against farm laws; particulars sketchy

On Thursday, Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi, Ghulam Nabi Azad & Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury visited President Ram Nath Kovind at Rashtrapati Bhavan and handed over the purported list of 2 crore signatories who they claim are against the farm laws. However, Republic TV accessed the documents and found that there are no contact numbers or address of the farmers that the Congress party claims have signed the documents against farm laws.

The authenticity of the documents are under the scanner and accordingly BJP's Gaurav Bhatia has said that parties like Congress are politicising the issue even as Centre is continuing its talks with the farmers. Bhatia has also raised questions on the internal chaos in the Congress party stating that Gandhi family is playing 'musical chairs' with the president's post of the party. 

The leaders who met the President said that the three farm laws are "anti-farmer". Earlier, Delhi Police had imposed Section 144 outside Congress headquarter at 24, Akbar Road, Delhi and Priyanka Vadra, Anand Sharma and others were detained for violating it. 

Addressing the media, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said that the Prime Minister should remember that the protesting farmers are not going to go back home until the farm laws are repealed. "Government should convene a joint session of Parliament and take back these laws. Opposition parties will stand with farmers & labourers. PM Modi is making money for the crony capitalists. Whoever will try to stand against him will be called terrorist - be it farmers, labourers and even Mohan Bhagwat," former Congress chief said. 

Incidentally, all the 23 Congress leaders who wrote to interim Congress chief Sonia Gandhi demanding robust change in the party and election for a new president backed the meeting of Rahul Gandhi with the President and under his leadership, the Congress leaders attacked Centre of sidelining the farmers. However, sources on Wednesday told Republic TV that 23 dissenters are against Rahul Gandhi's election at the top.

READ | Pro-farm Laws Rally Held In Meerut And Gautam Budh Nagar Amid Centre's Outreach

What are the farm laws? 

The Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020 aims at freeing the farmers from the constraints of the state Agriculture Produce Market Committees whereby they would be able to sell their produce anywhere. Meanwhile, The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020 protects and empowers farmers to engage with processors, wholesalers, large retailers, exporters for farm services. This entails the provision of contract farming. On the other hand, The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020 specifies that the supply of foodstuffs including cereals, pulses, potato, edible oilseeds, and oils shall be regulated only under exceptional circumstances. 

READ | Chidambaram Pans Centre's 'inflexible' Stance, Urges 'keep Farm Laws On Hold During Talks'

Unions urge Centre to send a concrete proposal

On December 9, the farmer leaders had unanimously rejected the Centre's proposal for making amendments and called for an escalation in the protests until the farm laws are repealed. Subsequently, PM Modi, his Cabinet colleagues, as well as top BJP leaders, have addressed farmers across the country to address their concerns. Moreover, Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar gave 8 concrete assurances to farmers via an open letter.

On December 20, the Centre asked the 40 protesting unions to provide details of all remaining concerns and fix a convenient date for the resumption of talks. Earlier in the day, the farmers' unions sent a letter to the Union government and made it clear that they were not willing to budge from their demand for the repeal of the agrarian laws. 

READ | Tomar Releases List Of Farmer Unions Backing Farm Laws, Over 3 Lakh Signatures Submitted

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