In protest against the three new controversial agriculture laws, the State Congress on Monday staged a massive rally here and sought President Ram Nath Kovind’s intervention for early repealing of the legislations assented by him already.
“The Modi Government has unleashed a diabolical conspiracy against India’s farmers and farming sector. It is conspiring to defeat the Green Revolution by bingeing in three anti-farmer Bills. This is a well designed conspiracy to destroy the ‘Annadata’ farmers and the agriculture at the altar of a handful of crony capitalists,” read the 10-point charter of memorandum sent to the President through the Governor.
Mentioning that 62 farmers and farm labourers are agitating and 250 organisaigons sitting on dharna across the country, the party said the Modi Government has subverted India’s federal structure, subjugated the constitutional mandate, suppressed the established parliamentary procedure by using its draconian majority to pass the three black laws without any discussion.
The Bills were unconstitutionally passed in Rajya Sabha, without even permitting a division of votes and by using force by deploying marshals and by evacuating the members of Parliament. The Annadata farmer and labourers will never forget the conspiracy of the Modi Government to convert ‘the disaster confronting the farmers’ into an opportunity for the capitalists’ under the garb of pandemic.“We urge upon your good self to intervene and ensure that these bills are withdrawn and repealed forthwith,” demanded the party.
Though the Congress delegation wanted to meet Governor Prof Ganeshi Lal to submit the memorandum, they were not allowed.“It is unfortunate that we could not meet the Odisha Governor.It is now evident that both the BJP and BJD are one party. While farmers are committing suicides, the farm bills have been brought only in the interest of industrialists,” said Congress MLA Tara Prasad Bahinipati.
He further stated that the party would raise the issue in the State Assembly.“Today’s demonstration was just a trailer. We will intensify our protests in coming days,” he said. Among others, PCC president Niranjan Patnaik, former president Prasad Harichandan, MLA Suresh Kumar Routray, Shibandanda Ray, Debashis Patnaik, Mohan Jena, Naresh Mohanty, Lalatendu Mohapatra, Haladhra Sethi, Amiya Kumar Pattnaik undersigned the memorandum.