Cong announces support to farmers for Nov 19 'Victory Day' celebrations

The Punjab Congress on Thursday extended its support to farmers who have decided to hold 'Victory Day' celebrations on November 19 to commemorate the withdrawal of the three contentious farm laws by the Centre.

The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) earlier in Delhi said it would celebrate November 19 as 'Fateh Diwas' or 'Victory Day' as the Union government had on that day last year ordered the repeal of the farm laws following their year-long agitation.

The Congress suggested that along with 'Victory Day', the farmers should also observe it as a ''betrayal day'', saying the BJP government at the Centre had ''betrayed'' them and ''completely backed out'' of all the commitments it made to them before they called off the 'dharna'.

''While November 19 will always be remembered as a day of victory, sadly, it has turned out to be a day of betrayal as well, as the BJP government has completely betrayed the farmers,'' Punjab Congress chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring said in a statement here.

The SKM had also said it would hold marches to Raj Bhavan across the country on November 26, saying it would be a protest against the Centre ''for not keeping its promises on farmers' demands''.

Warring said the Congress will continue to support and stand by the farmers until the Centre fulfills all their demands. ''We will not let them back out, come what may,'' he asserted.

He questioned the silence of the Aam Aadmi Party government on the issue.

He pointed out that the Bhagwant Mann-led AAP government was in power in Punjab for eight months but it never raised the matter with the Centre.

''It is the duty and responsibility of the Punjab government to watch the interests of farmers since it represents a predominantly agrarian state, but sadly, it has failed miserably,'' he said.

Warring also pointed out that the Punjab government did not even write a single letter to the Centre to fulfill the commitments it made to the farmers. PTI CHS VSD CJ CJ