Congress to launch 'Kisan Yatra' from Punjab against farm laws on October 2, Rahul Gandhi to join protest

The Indian National Congress is launching a 'Kisan Yatra' from Punjab against the recent farm reform bills. The yatra will begin this week from Punjab's Sangrur district and will end in Delhi covering various districts of Punjab and Haryana.

The party has planned massive protests against these laws from September 24 to November 14. Former Congress President and Lok Sabha MP Rahul Gandhi is scheduled to join the protest. 

As per reports, Rahul Gandhi will address a public meeting in Sangrur and later the yatra will proceed to Patiala in a roadshow. The massive Kisan Yatra is expected to kick off on October 2. 

Objective

The main aim behind the programme is to highlight the Congress' stand against the farm bills and to showcase the "anti-farmers" face of the Modi government.

Opposition's fight against farm bills

• India's main opposition party Congress has announced that it is ready to fight at every level for the farmers' rights and the party's interim president Sonia Gandhi instructed the Congress-ruled states not to implement these "black" laws of the Central Government.

• All India Congress Committee (AICC) in-charge of Punjab Harish Rawat is in charge for all of the Kisan Yatra's preparations. 

• Overall, the Indian National Congress has planned massive protests against these laws from September 24 to November 14. 

• The Kisan Yatra follows requests from Congress’ Punjab and Haryana units, the states where the farmer protests against the controversial laws have been most intense.

• The yatra is in continuation of Rahul Gandhi's continuous attacks on the Modi government over the new farm laws, which he claimed to be “anti-farmer” and compared to the return of the ‘East India Company'. Gandhi also remarked that the new laws will serve as a “stab in the farmers’ hearts”.

Background

The Indian Parliament had recently passed three farm reform bills- Farmers' (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill, 2020, Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020 and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill 2020.

All the three bills received assent from President Ram Nath Kovind and came into effect from September 27.
Despite protests from the opposition parties and their united show, they could not prevent the passage of the bills in the Parliament. The bills received opposition from farmers' organisation across the country as well with farmers beginning 'rail roko Andolan' in several areas of Punjab. 

The farmers’ groups and unions had also called for a nationwide protest on September 25 against the passage of three contentious farm bills.