'Does he know difference between methi & dhaniya?' Gujarat CM Rupani asks Rahul Gandhi

Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani hit out at the Congress for supporting Tuesday's 'Bharat Bandh' against the Centre's new farm laws by asking its former president Rahul Gandhi if he knew the difference between coriander (dhaniya) and fenugreek (methi). Congress took the lead in the protests called nationwide by farm outfits who claim three laws introduced by the Centre are aimed at allowing corporates to take over the agriculture sector at the expense of cultivators.

'Why is the Congress opposing it?'

Addressing a public function in Mehsana, Rupani said Gandhi and his party were indulging in politics by opposing the same set of reforms they had once advocated. "I want to ask Rahul Gandhi if he knows the difference between coriander and fenugreek," Rupani, who was in Mehsana to lay the foundation stones of Narmada canal-based drinking water supply projects worth Rs 287 crore, said.

"In its 2019 election manifesto, the Congress had said it would bring changes in the APMC Act if voted to power and give farmers the freedom to sell their produce outside these markets. Now, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi brings in these reforms, why is the Congress opposing it," the CM questioned.

"Rahul Gandhi once called a meeting of Congress Chief Ministers and asked them to delist vegetables and fruits from APMC to bring down prices. Now, when we are doing the same to empower farmers, Congress is opposing it. The people want an answer as to why t he party is taking such a stand," Rupani further said.

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Mixed response to 'Bharat Bandh' in Gujarat

In Gujarat, several rural pockets remained shut on Tuesday, while urban and semi-urban localities were largely unaffected by the 'Bharat Bandh'. Markets, shops, banks, government and private offices and other commercial establishments functioned normally in most parts of the BJP-ruled state.

Though a majority of the Agricultural Produce Market Committees (APMCs) remained open, no auction of products took place at several mandis as traders and commission agents extended their support to the nationwide shutdown against the three farm laws brought by the Narendra Modi government, PTI reported. A large number of police personnel were deployed across the state to prevent any untoward incident. Authorities imposed section 144 of the CrPC, which bans assembly of more than four persons, at several places in view of the Bharat Bandh.

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(With PTI inputs)