Cong extends support to 'Chakka Jam' on Feb 6

"When farmers hold a three-hour nationwide 'bandh' from noon till 3 pm on January 6 in a peaceful manner on the national and state highways, the Congress will extend its full support. Congress workers will stand in solidarity with protesting farmers in this symbolic and Gandhian way of protest," Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal said in a statement. 

"The Congress fully supports the farmers' movement and again appeals to the central government to climb down from its high horse of false and misplaced pride and accede to their just demands for repeal of the three laws," he added. 

The farmers' organisations have exempted emergency and essential services from this bandh and clarified that the 'Chakka Jam' will not be held inside Delhi. 

"Joining in the spirit, Congress workers will take full care that ambulance services, school buses, elderly, patients and women and children are not inconvenienced due to the bandh," he said. 

"This movement, which is steadfastly supported by the poor, farm labourers, SCs and STs, OBCs as indeed every right-minded Indian, is not only aimed at protecting agriculture sector but also saving public distribution system. Even today, Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar blatantly tried to mislead the House and the nation," Venugopal said. 

"The farmers' unions held 11 rounds of talks with the government, wherein they provided point-wise detail of deficiencies and lacunae in the three laws, consequent to which even the government openly agreed to bring about as many as 18 amendments. In light of this, whatever the Minister said today in Parliament is not only totally bereft of facts but grossly objectionable."