Sonia Gandhi urges Congress-ruled states to pass laws to bypass Centre's Farm Acts

Condemning the Centre for passage of the Farm Acts, Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal on Monday, said that party chief Sonia Gandhi has advised Congress-ruled states (Punjab, Chhatisgarh and Rajasthan) to explore passing laws to negate Centre's laws. The party's various state units protested at various iconic sites or marched to Raj Bhawans in their respective states against the acts. On Sunday, President Ram Nath Kovind gave his assent to all three Farm Bills passed by the Parliament - 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.

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Congress: 'Pass laws to bypass Centre'

Punjab CM says 'will challenge Acts in SC', alleges 'farmers now easy targets of ISI'

Congress protest turns violent

Earlier in the day, a tractor was set on fire near India Gate in Delhi by a crowd of alleged Congress supporters. With Punjab Youth Congress live-streaming the protest, 20 people set a tractor on fire while raising pro-Congress slogans. In Uttar Pradesh, Congress workers were detained by police when they protested in Lucknow and Benaras. Moreover, Congress MP T N Prathapan filed the first plea in the Supreme Court demanding the acts be declared 'unconstitutional, illegal and void'. 

Congress MP files 1st plea challenging Farm Acts in Supreme Court: 'Declare it void'

Nationwide-wide protests rage on

Protests continue to surge across the nation against these Acts. In Punjab and Haryana, 31 farmer organisations under aegis of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) staged a Bharat Bandh, taking to the streets to block highways on September. Farmers have also extended their 'Rail Roko' till September 29 against the bills and squatted on tracks at many places in Punjab, with CM Amarinder Singh too taking to the streets to protest.  Similar protests are currently underway in Karnataka, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu with farmers demanding rollback of the bills. 

In Tamil Nadu, farmers sat outside Collector's office in Trichy with human skulls, chained hands, and nooses around their necks to demonstrate against the Bills. Meanwhile, a Bharat Bandh is underway in Karnataka with Opposition leaders in support to it. Rajasthan, on the other hand, has witnessed a double protest -one by farmers other by tribals seeking teaching post reservation.

Prime Minister Modi has assured farmers that mandis and minimum sale price will remain, allaying the main concern of farmers and lashed out at the Opposition for 'spreading rumours'.  The Centre also increased the minimum support price of wheat by Rs 50 per quintal to Rs 1,975 per quintal, to allay farmers' fears. But several states like Punjab, Maharashtra, Telangana, West Bengal, Chhatisgarh have pledged to 'not implement these laws'. 

Congress stages nationwide protest on farm laws; leaders and workers detained by police