Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot targets Modi govt over farmer protests

Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot targeted Centre on Sunday over ongoing protests by peasant organisations and said farmers are on streets because of Narendra Modi government's "way of suppressing people's voice rar than listening to m".

With his Congress party extending support to 'Bharat Bandh' call by farmers, Gehlot said that when party leer Rahul Gandhi and Punjab CM Amarinder Singh took out a tractor rally in Punjab in support of farmers, Centre should have taken it seriously to avoid such a situation.

"Due to way NDA government works, farmers across country have come on streets today and have declared a 'Bharat Bandh'. Modi government has taken away all constitutional tritions and democratic methods. Dialogue is most important in a democracy, but government did t talk to state governments and farmers organization on new agricultural laws," he said in a statement.

Gehlot said that Modi government's attitude is "full of arrogance", so y are t listening to voice of people and opposition.

"Today, farmers across country are on streets because of Modi government's way of suppressing people's voice rar than listening to m," he said.  Farmer unions, which have been protesting on Delhi's borders for 11 days demanding repeal of Centre's new agri-marketing laws, have called a 'Bharat Bandh' on December 8.

Congress and some or Opposition parties on Sunday came out in strong support of ‘Bharat Bandh’ call.

In Mathura, Uttar Presh Congress Committee president Ajay Kumar Lallu said his party h been opposing laws since beginning as se are "anti-farmer".

He claimed a farmer is forced to sell his pdy at Rs 1,100-1,200 per quintal inste of Rs 1,868 MSP declared by government and his party "stands with farmers" in this protest.

farmers are protesting against Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020; Farmers Produce Tre and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020; and Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act 2020.

Enacted in September, three farm laws have been projected by government as major reforms in agriculture sector that will remove middlemen and allow farmers to sell anywhere in country.

However, protesting farmers have expressed apprehension that new laws would pave way for eliminating safety cushion of Minimum Support Price and do away with mandis, leaving m at mercy of big corporates.

Centre has maintained that MSP and mandi mechanisms will stay.