Cong workers in Bengal take to streets with haystacks in protest against farm laws

In the memorandum, signed by the Leader of the Congress in Lok Sabha and the party's state unit chief, Adhir Choudhury, the agitators said that the agri laws were not in consonance with the countrys federal structure. Earlier in the day, the protestors, led by party MP Pradip Bhattacharya and senior leader Abdul Mannan, raised slogans against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and criticised the Centre for not holding consultations with states before introducing the bills in Parliament.

Stepping up the anti-farm law protest, hundreds of Congress workers here took to the streets on Monday, carrying haystacks on their shoulders, as part of the partys nationwide stir against the legislation. The protesters also submitted a memorandum to Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar, urging him to "intervene and ensure" that the laws were immediately repealed.

Several of them were arrested near Raj Bhavan for violation of prohibitory orders. In the memorandum, signed by the Leader of the Congress in Lok Sabha and the party's state unit chief, Adhir Choudhury, the agitators said that the agri laws were not in consonance with the countrys federal structure.

Earlier in the day, the protestors, led by party MP Pradip Bhattacharya and senior leader Abdul Mannan, raised slogans against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and criticised the Centre for not holding consultations with states before introducing the bills in Parliament. "Agriculture and mandis come under the purview of the state governments, according to the Constitution. But the Modi government didn't think it was necessary to take the state governments in confidence on this issue," the memorandum said.

Mannan alleged that the BJP government at Centre is "hatching a conspiracy to cause distress to the 'annadata' farmer at the altar of a handful of crony capitalists". President Ram Nath Kovind had on Sunday given his assent to three farm bills passed by Parliament.