Congress calls for convening special Parl session on farmers' issues

NEW DELHI: The Congress on Thursday escalated its attack on the BJP-led Centre over the farmers' protest and demanded that a special session of Parliament be convened to discuss the pressing issues of the tillers.

The Opposition party also urged the Punjab government to convene a similar session of the State assembly to deliberate on the issue.

A farmer was killed and about 12 police personnel were injured in clashes at Khanauri on the Punjab-Haryana border on Wednesday. The incident took place when some protesting farmers were trying to head towards barricades.

Subhkaran Singh (21), hailing from Bathinda district, died at Khanauri on the Sangrur-Jind border.

In a post in Hindi on X, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said, "Farmers are the backbone of our country. It was only on the strength of the 'Annadaata' that we were able to bring about the green revolution and the white revolution. It was because of their hard work that India became self-reliant in the field of agriculture."

"Today, when the same farmers are demanding guarantee of MSP, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is giving them 'guarantee of bullet'. Using tear gas shells and firing against farmers is the height of injustice. They are respecting 'donors' and insulting 'annadaatas'," Ramesh said.

He said something similar was happening with the youth as when they demanded employment, they were allegedly beaten with sticks.

"Their future is being ruined by schemes like Agnipath," he alleged.

"But now the end of the last 10 years of injustice is near. The Congress is committed to providing them their right to justice through the two main pillars of its five justices agenda -- farmer justice and youth justice," Ramesh said.

Addressing a press conference at the AICC headquarters here, Chairman of the All India Kisan Congress Sukhpal Singh Khaira condemned the "brutal" use of force by the Haryana government on farmers.

Khaira asked why the Punjab government had not registered an FIR so far over the killing of a farmer "in its own territory".

He alleged that the Haryana Police was violating the Punjab borders and shelling the farmers inside the Punjab territory with tear gas and rubber pallets. He claimed that about 200 farmers have been injured so far since February 12 when the protests started.

The Kisan Congress chairman alleged that it appeared to be a "joint operation" by the Haryana Chief Minister ML Khattar and the Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann against the farmers.

Khaira claimed that besides the death of one farmer, some more farmers were missing or had been detained by the Haryana Police.

He asked what stopped the Punjab Chief Minister from getting the internet in various districts of the state restored. He said this will help in preventing rumour mongering.

Khaira asked the chief minister to recommend suspension of all the social media handles, which were spreading hatred against the farmers.