Farmers’ incomes have halved, says Rahul Gandhi

Abolish all three black laws which are against farmers and labourers, says former Congress President. Former Congress President Shri Rahul Gandhi on 2nd December, 2020, claimed that instead of doubling farmers’ income, as claimed by the Narendra Modi government, their income has been “halved”, while the income of “crony friends of the government” has grown four times.

Shri Rahul Gandhi reiterated the Congress’ demand that the three farm laws should be abolished at the earliest. He also called the ongoing talks between farmers’ groups and the government a farce.

Shri Rahul Gandhi’s remarks come at a time when farmers from Punjab and Haryana are protesting at the Singhu, Tikri and Ghazipur borders of the national capital against the Centre’s new agriculture reform laws.

“They the government said farmers’ income will be doubled. What they did was increase the income of their ‘friends’ four times and halved that of farmers. This is a government of suit-boot, lies and loot,” the Congress leader said in a tweet in Hindi.

He also shared a video showing the police using water cannons and firing tear gas shells during protests by farmers, with a speech of Prime Minister Narendra Modi playing in the background, wherein Shri Modi says his government was taking steps to resolve the problems faced by farmers and double their income.

“Modi government, stop giving ‘jumlas’ rhetoric to farmers, stop the dishonesty and atrocities, stop giving them the falsehood of talks, and abolish all three black laws which are against farmers and labourers,” Shri Rahul Gandhi said in another tweet.

The Congress governments in Chhattisgarh and Punjab have not yet filed a legal appeal against the laws, although they had announced their intention to do so.

Farmer unions say the three new laws will lead to the dismantling of the Minimum Support Price (MSP) system, leaving farmers at the mercy of corporate houses. The Centre has said that the MSP system will continue and the new laws will give farmers more options to sell their crops.