Rahul continues to attack Centre on agri legislations, claims ryots not aware of details

Kalpetta (Ker), Jan 28 (PTI): Congress leader RahulGandhi on Thursday continued to attack the Centre over thethree farm laws and claimed most farmers were not aware ofdetails of the bills and if they did, there would have been anagitation throughout the country.

Referring to the contentious central farm laws, hesaid it was the ''latest deadly assault'' on the farmers.

A day after violence during the farmers' tractorrally in Delhi, Gandhi had appealed to the Narendra Modigovernment on Wednesday to repeal, what he claimed were,''anti-agriculture'' laws.

''Most of the farmers are not aware of the details ofthe farm bills.Because if they did, there would have beenan agitation throughout the country,'' he said,addressing a UDFconvention on Thursday at Kalpetta in Wayanad, his Lok Sabhaconstituency, on the second day of his two-day visit to poll-bound Kerala.

He also alleged that while the BJP government atthe Centre was ''aggressively'' using its central agencies-CBIand the Enforcement Directorate (ED)-against opposition partyruled governments, there was no such pressure on left ruledKerala where the assembly polls are only months away.

''In every opposition party ruled states, CBIand ED are used aggressively by the BJP.There is no such thingin Kerala. There is no such pressure on the Kerala government.

CBI and ED are very relaxed on the cases here,''Gandhi said.

''You go through newspaper reports.Does the BJP attack theCongress more or the CPI(M)? Does the Prime Minister attackthe Chief Minister of Kerala or does he attack theleadershipof the Congress party?'' he asked, apparentlysuggesting that the saffron party was going soft on the leftfront in the southern state.

Continuing to target the Centre over the farmlaws,Gandhi alleged the basic idea was to hand over theagricultural system of the country to three or fourbusinessmen. ''Five to 10 people are ''stealing'' every singlefarmer's produce. They are stealing from every single worker,they are stealing from every single worker in the mandis andstealing from every truck driver who takes wheat from themandis and the Prime Minister of India is organising therobbery,'' he alleged.

''This is not just a crime against farmers, butcrime against India,'' Gandhi said.

Gandhi also said if the Congress-led UDF comes topower in Kerala, a medical college, along pending demand ofhis Wayanad constituency, would become a reality.

''The state government is going slow on this demand,''he claimed.

Later after inaugurating a spice kit distributionto SC farmers at Ambalavayal, organised by RARS, Keralaagriculture university, Gandhi said his endeavour was to makeWayanad synonymouswith spices and he had written to theCentre to set up a spice park in the district.PTI UD BNWELCOME BNWELCOME