Smriti targets Congress over protest against farm laws, refers to Vadra's land grab case

On Friday, Union Minister Smriti Irani campaigned in Gujarat for upcoming by-polls and mounted a fierce attack on Congress party for ir opposition to recently passed farm laws, abrogation of Article 370. 

Bypolls on eight Assembly seats in Gujarat - Abdasa, Limdi, Morbi, Dhari, Gha (ST), Karjan, Dangs (ST) and Kapra (ST) - will be held on vember 3. Smriti Irani slammed former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi, whom she h defeated in Gandhi bastion Amethi in Lok Sabha elections, and asked if he is trying to help middlemen. Without taking names, Smriti Irani said that party that is run by a khandan (family) do t have right to call ors a traitor. 

Referring to land grab case of Priyanka Gandhi Vra's husband Robert Vra, Irani said, "My question is that how a person (Rahul Gandhi) who's bror-in-law (Robert Vra) has taken away land of farmers will help farmers. politics of Congress party for years have been about looting country's coffers or looting farmers of India. refore you need to chuck m out by voting for BJP," Irani appealed in a Gujarat poll rally. 

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Rahul Gandhi h held protest marches in Punjab against farm laws and Punjab Assembly has w passed bills to negate Centre's farm laws. Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has also anunced that his state would follow suit. 

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By-polls in Gujarat

by-polls in eight seats of Gujarat assembly is being held as eight Congress MLAs h resigned as legislators in run-up to Rajya Sabha elections earlier this year. w, five of m have joined BJP and have been given tickets to contest by-polls. Slamming one of m (Brajesh Merja), Congress spokesperson Manish Doshi h a few days ago said that stated he h done 'gdari'. Irani fired back at comment and said that a party who which supports bringing back of Article 370 of Constitution, cant level allegations like 'gdari' (cheating). 

“I want to ask Congress to first decide as to how many leers it has. Is it led by an individual or by a khandan family)? If it is a khandan, in politics, such a party would t be able to understand hardships faced by poor,” Irani ded.

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BJP leer and Union minister Smriti Irani

Earlier, when Rahul Gandhi held protest marches against three farm laws, Irani h said that he was taking out his yatras t for farmers but in support of "middlemen who looted country". Hitting out at Gandhi scion for his remarks that if his party is voted to power it would abolish farm laws, Irani said, "I think Rahul Gandhi lives in a dream world where he thinks he is a king."

When Gandhi opposes farm laws, Irani asked, does he also oppose proposition that farmer will be paid within three days of selling ir produce, that y are free to sell m anywhere in country and that ir land cant be used in recovery process in any case. “His party’s and especially his family's politics was always dependent on middlemen who looted coffers of country," she alleged.

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What are amended bills? 

 Farmers Produce Tre & Commerce Promotion & Facilitation (Punjab Amendment) Bill, 2020 ensures that wheat or pdy cant be purchased except for a price equal to or greater than Minimum Support Price. Anyone buying below MSP shall be imprisoned for three years. second bill-  Essential Commodities (Special Provision & Punjab Amendment) Bill, 2020 seeks to protect consumers from hoarding and black marketing of agriculture produce.

On or hand,  Farmers Agreement on Price Assurance & Farm Services(Punjab Amendment) Bill, 2020 provides that sale or purchase of wheat and pdy under a farming agreement shall take place below MSP. Besides this, ar bill was cleared to ensure that land of farmers up to 2.5 acres cant be attached in any recovery proceedings. Subsequently, Punjab CM Amarinder Singh along with Congress, S and AAP MLAs met Goverr VPS Bre, requesting him to give assent to bills. 

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