Chidambaram rejects Digvijaya Singh's allegations of Cong "sleeping" over farmers protests

As Congress party faces new lows by the day due to a variety of reasons, be it the leadership crisis, Rahul Gandhi's sudden vacation abroad or the infighting in the party, another disagreement between its senior leaders has gone public on Monday. Senior Congress leader and former Finance Minister P Chidambaram on Monday rejected the allegations of another senior leader Digvijaya Singh who remarked that Congressmen are sleeping over farmers' issue.

Responding to the allegations while speaking with ANI, Chidambaram said, "It is completely incorrect. Congress has also supported the farmers' movement."

In a strong objection to Digvijaya Singh's remarks, Chidambaram said that he does not know in what context Singh criticised the Congress leaders, but if he had said it in farmers' context then it is not correct because the Congress party is the first party who raised the voice against these three farm laws.

Backing his claim, Chidambaram said, "Please remember the Congress party had condemned the bill when they were brought and had said it is anti-farmers. First Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh wrote to the Prime Minister. I wrote three columns on the farm bills pointing out the deficiency in the farm bills. The Congress party wanted to move amendments in the Rajya Sabha and the Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha ignored amendments and declared the bill passed by the voice of vote. So it is completely wrong to say that the Congress party did not protest. In fact, we were the first one to raise the voice of protest."

Chidambaram also reminded that Congress had been holding protests across the country against the three farm laws. He also said that Congress is staying away from the issue after the farmers at Singhu border appealed the political parties to stay away from the agitation.

"Please remember, the farmers have appealed to all parties to stay away from the stage at Singhu border that is why we are staying away but Congress MPs have observed one day fast at the Mahatma Gandhi statue inside the Parliament premises. The MPs have extended their support to the farmers' protest and ordinary Congress workers in small towns have organised demonstrations in front of state and central government offices," he said.

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Dijvijaya Singh slams own party

Chidambaram's rejection of Digvijaya Singh has come after the latter on Sunday blamed his party over farmers' protest and said that farmers of Haryana, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan are protesting against farm laws because Prime Minister Narendra Modi is doing injustice to them while adding that farmers of Madhya Pradesh are innocent but even Congressmen are sleeping but Congressmen should wake up, join the stir and raise voices against these laws.

Chidambaram also slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi for speaking about farmers on various events and occasions but not personally visiting the protesting farmers on Singhu border.

"It is his style that he treats with disdain any opposition that is not a good thing for a Prime Minister," Chidambaram said criticising PM Modi.

(With ANI inputs)

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