Rahul Gandhi taunts Centre over plea against farmer tractor rally on R-Day; BJP hits back

On Wednesday, former Congress president Rahul Gandhi took a dig at the Centre over the Delhi Police's plea in the Supreme Court seeking an injunction on the tractor rally in Delhi on Republic Day. Questioning the priorities of the Union government, he claimed that it found the tractor rally more "embarrassing" than the death of over 60 farmers during the protests against the three farm laws. The Wayanad MP was referring to the contention of the Delhi Police that any disruption on January 26 will be tantamount to causing a "huge embarrassment" for India.

Maintaining that the right to protest is always subject to the "countervailing public order and the public interest", the police stated in its application before the SC that the right to protest cannot imply "maligning the nation globally". On Tuesday, a  three-judge SC bench comprising Chief Justice SA Bobde, Justice AS Bopanna and Justice V Ramasubramanian issued notice to the farm unions on this plea and adjourned the matter to January 18. Earlier, Gandhi had cast aspersions on the credibility of the 4-member committee formed by the apex court to solve the impasse and affirmed that the agitation shall continue until the farm laws are repealed. 

Read: Agitating Farmers' Unions Burn Farm Laws Copies On Lohri At Delhi Borders

BJP hits back at Gandhi

Taking a dig at Gandhi, MP Home Minister Narottam Mishra said that the former was slamming the SC order sitting in Italy. According to the BJP leader, Congress had a tendency to question the credibility of institutions when things did not pan out as per their expectations. Assuring that BJP shall respect the SC order, Mishra alleged that the representatives of the 'Tukde Tukde Gang' wanted to spread unrest in the country in the garb of the farmers' agitation. 

MP Home Minister Narottam Mishra remarked, "When the decision is not in their favour, they indirectly question the credibility of the judiciary. When the people's mandate is not their favour, they indirectly question the credibility of EVMs. If the Army enters Pakistan, they question the Army. If they questioned the vaccine, what else can we hope for? Whether it is the Centre or the MP government, we take oath on the Constitution and will follow the SC order."

Read: TMC Minister's Farm Laws Protest Blocks Highway; Forces Covid Vaccine Van To Be Diverted

Read: Bar Council Of India Slams Politicisation Of SC's Order, Urges Farmers To Suspend Stir