SAD dismisses Rahul Gandhi's tractor rallies in Punjab as 'drama'

The Shiromani Akali Dal on Sunday dubbed Rahul Gandhi's tractor rallies as “drama” and accused the Congress leader of “striking a deal to sell off the interests of farmers” by facilitating the passage of the new farm laws.

Gandhi is in Punjab for leading tractor rallies, from October 4 to October 6, across the state in protest against the recently enacted agriculture laws by the Centre.

“You (Rahul Gandhi) did not only run away from the country when the agriculture bills were to be tabled in Parliament in the most cowardly manner, but also facilitated their passage by refusing to issue a whip to your MPs to vote against them and even preventing senior leaders from speaking against the bills in the House,” senior SAD leader Prem Singh Chandumajra said.

“But you chose to help the BJP government rather than standing with the farmers of the country,” he alleged. Chandumajra, in a statement here, said the Congress leader had now been brought to Punjab to stage a “sham protest” after the party realised that the farmers would now turn against it.

Questioning the timing of Gandhi’s visit, the SAD leader said it was strange that the Gandhi scion remembered Punjab and its farmers after a spate of years only because his party was in doldrums with only a little over a year left before the assembly polls.

“You seem to be in the habit of remembering farmers only when a particular state goes to polls, as happened during your pre-poll visit to Madhya Pradesh. You never visited Punjab when hundreds of farmers committed suicide after your government refused to waive their agricultural loans,” he said.

Chandumajra also asked Gandhi to direct Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh to fulfil the poll promises made during the 2017 assembly polls.

Vowing to scrap the new farm laws once the Congress returns to power at the Centre, Rahul Gandhi on Sunday alleged that the BJP-led government was acting at the behest of select corporates to "destroy” farmers.

Leading a tractor rally in Punjab against the farm legislations, the Congress leader launched a blistering attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and questioned the need for bringing in the new laws at the time of the coronavirus pandemic.

(Photo Credit: Twitter/Akali_Dal_)

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