Protests against farm laws intensify, Opposition leaders detained in Delhi, UP, Gujarat; Congress MP moves SC against legislations
Firstpost
September 29, 2020
Congress MP from Kerala TN Prathapan moved the Supreme Court challenging the constitutional validity of various provisions of the contentious Farmers' (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020
Protests against the controversial farm laws, which were recently passed by both the Houses of Parliament in the absence of an Opposition bench, raged across several states on Monday.
The Congress, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and the Dravida Munnetra Kazagham (DMK), among others, held agitations at various places, including Punjab, Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh.
Farmer organisations, including the Bhartiya Kisan Union, have protested against the legislations which received President Ram Nath Kovind's nod on Sunday. Over the past few days, Punjab and Haryana have been roiled by protests.
In Karnataka, after political parties demonstrated during a statewide bandh called by the Karnataka Raitha Sangha, Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa, extending an olive branch to cultivators, said, "Sit with us and have a discussion. I am always ready to make changes for the benefit of farmers."
Earlier on Monday, a mob set fire to a tractor near India Gate in Delhi to voice their opposition to the contentious farm laws. Five workers of the Punjab Youth Congress have been arrested over the incident, said police.
Leaders and workers of the Congress, which has announced a "mass movement" against the Centre, were also detained in several states as they attempted to march towards their respective Raj Bhawans.
Meanwhile, a Congress MP from Kerala filed the first petition in the Supreme Court challenging the constitutional validity of various provisions on one of the newly enacted farm laws.
Congress workers detained in several states
In Uttar Pradesh, state Congress committee president Ajay Kumar Lallu and other party workers were held while staging a protest in Lucknow, the party's media convenor Lalan Kumar told news agency PTI.
Led by Lallu, Congress workers from all over the state staged a protest at Lucknow's Parivartan Chowk, raising slogans against the "anti-farmer" laws.
When they were heading towards the Raj Bhawan, some workers and the UPCC chief were held, Kumar said, adding that there were reports of workers on their way to Lucknow being detained in other districts.
Delhi Congress leaders and workers, including its president Anil Kumar, were also detained by the police while holding a protest at Raj Ghat. The detained protesters were taken to a stadium in Hari Nagar, Delhi Congress leader Parvez Alam said.
The protesters were scheduled to take out a march to Raj Niwas, but party leaders and workers were detained before the March could begin, Kumar said. "We wanted to submit a memorandum to the LG against the farm bills passed by Parliament but we were detained by the police. The Congress will not rest till the Modi government withdraws its anti-farmer bills," he said.
In Gujarat, state Congress president Amit Chavda was among 100 party workers detained by the police. Chavda, Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly Paresh Dhanani, Congress MLAs Baldevji Thakor, CJ Chavda and other party workers had gathered at the Ambedkar statue near the Assembly complex and raised slogans against the BJP-led governments at the Centre and in Gujarat.
They denounced the farm bills recently passed by Parliament as "anti-farmer" and alleged that the bills "will destroy APMCs". As the workers started marching towards the Raj Bhavan, around 100 of them were detained as no permission had been for the rally, said police.
"Since the Congress workers had not taken any permission for the rally, we detained them. We will take a decision about their release afterwards," Superintendent of Police Mayur Chavda said.
Congress workers demand repeal of laws
After the detained leaders were released, a Congress delegation met Governor Acharya Devvrat and submitted a memorandum demanding President Ram Nath Kovind withdraw his assent to three farm bills cleared by Parliament recently.
The Congress, in its memorandum, called these "black laws" which had been brought in by the Narendra Modi government to give select corporates the power to control the country's agriculture sector.
In Maharashtra, a Congress delegation met Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari at Raj Bhavan and demanded withdrawal of the "black laws".
Former Maharashtra chief minister Prithviraj Chavan, who was part of the delegation, told reporters after the meeting that the laws were passed in Parliament hurriedly without listening to views of parties opposing them.
Chavan said the governor heard them out and "admitted that a way out should be found on the issue sitting together". Several labour organisations who are protesting against amendments to some labour laws during the brief Assembly session of the state legislature have also backed the bandh.
Pro-Kannada organisation 'Karnataka Rakshna Vedike' activists barged inside Bengaluru's Kempegowda International Airport to mark their protest, while some were detained by police near Kranthiveera Sangolli Rayanna Railway Station in Bengaluru, theIndian Express reported.
As per the Indian Express, traffic was disrupted in the state capital and few shops and other commercial establishments remained open. However, public transport in the rest of the state continued to operate smoothly.
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