Rahul Gandhi, who is leading the grand old party’s Bharat Jodo Yatra in Haryana, on Monday met farmer leaders. Rakesh Tikait – who had been at the forefront of the protest against farm laws last year – was also among those who were in attendance. In a tweet, Tikait said they discussed various issues related to the community, including challenges being faced in the Congress-ruled states. Tikait had previously took part in the Naya Raipur Kisan Andolan in Chhattisgarh where Bhupesh Baghel is the Chief Minister.
“Today, we met Rahul Gandhi in Haryana’s Ambala, and we discussed farmer issues. Among the talking points were the ongoing protest in Naya Raipur, and challenges being faced in Himachal Pradesh and Rajasthan,” read Tikait’s post on Twitter, loosely translated from Hindi. The Raipur Kisan Andolan has been going on for a long time and it is reported to be linked to contention over land acquisition.
Congress MP Jairam Ramesh, who is also the party’s communication-in-charge, also shared an update on the meeting. “Rahul Gandhi interacted with various farmer organisations at Shahabad near Kurukshetra. Their main demand was a legal guarantee for the MSP (Minimum Support Price) and the implementation of the 2013 Land Acquisition Act. They are also against Genetically modified-mustard,” he said.
Rahul Gandhi has been critical of the central government in the past over three contentious farm laws. He is set to lead the Bharat Jodo Yatra in Punjab, known as the food bowl of India, in a few days. The Congress had lost Punjab to the AAP last year despite supporting the farmers’ stir.
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