Repeal Acts which farmers are opposed to, says Karnataka Opposition

Lending support to the country-wide farmers' agitation over the controversial farm Bills passed by the Parliament, the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee on Monday submitted two separate memorandums to Governor Vajubhai Vala, seeking the repealing of the controversial laws passed by the Parliament and order a detailed inquiry in the alleged corruption scandals involving Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa.

Prior to submitting the memorandums to the Governor, the Congress leaders held a symbolic protest in front of the KPCC headquarters in a bid to lend moral support to farmer groups across the country, which are agitating against these laws.

Speaking on the occasion, AICC General Secretary Randeepsingh Surjewala appealed to the Karnataka government to ban and banish the anti-farmer/labour sentiments instead of banning the Karnataka bandh called by the farmers' groups in the state.

"Please withdraw the law and apologise for the blatant sell out by the BJP on the Land Reforms Bill. Repeal the draconian amendments to the APMC Act," he said, adding that this would be your (Yediyurappa's) litmus test.

He further said that the passage of the bills in the Parliament is a case in point that both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Yediyurappa were harmful for the farmers.

"We will always be with the farmers. At present, the farmers are agitating. This anti-farmer, anti-farm labour government continues to diabolically suppress and stifle the voice of the farmers. We stand united with the farmers until the Land Reforms Bill and the APMC Act are withdrawn," he added.

Surjewala also questioned how can Yeddyurappa and his turncoat cabinet sleep at night at a time when Covid-19 deaths have crossed 8,500 in the state.

While speaking to reporters after submitting the memorandums to the Governor, KPCC President D.K. Shivakumar asserted that the Congress had submitted two memorandums demanding repealing of three contentious Acts passed by the Parliament. The party also demanded an inquiry by a sitting Supreme Court judge into the alleged scams involving Yediyurappa which have been unearthed by a TV sting report.

Launching a scathing attack on Modi, the KPCC President alleged that the Prime Minister had opposed these reforms when he was the Gujarat Chief Minister, but his priorities seem to have changed soon after he became the PM.

Meanwhile, taking a swipe at the Congress' protest, Karnataka Agriculture Minister B.C. Patil said that the party was using gullible farmers to revive itself in the state.

"The Congress is dying a slow death in the people's minds. In a bid to stay relevant, they are doing this. This (farm Bills) is the Congress' programme which was announced in their 2019 Lok Sabha election manifesto. I don't understand why all of them are shedding crocodile tears in front of cameras and farmers," he said.

--IANS

nbh/arm