TRS questions Rahul Gandhi's absence from Parl when farm bills were tabled, Cong responds

A war of words broke between TRS leader Kavitha Kalvakuntla and Congress leader Manickam Tagore after the latter called Telangana CM a supporter of Modi. Kavitha warned him against using such words for KCR. Citing the issue of farm bills, Kalvakuntla said that Telangana CM KCR, who is her father, is a fighter and her party is the voice of the people. Tagore claimed that he was present in the Lok Sabha and opposed the farm bills while TRS only spoke about the issue after Akali Dal's agitation. To this, Kalvakuntla shared a screenshot of attendees of Lok Sabha on the day when farm bills were to be tabled and asked as to why Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was absent. 

Responding to KCR's daughter, Congress leader Tagore said that Rahul Gandhi was travelling with his mother and interim Congress chief Sonia Gandhi because of the latter's ill-health. Jumping into the verbal spat, AICC Secretary Vamshi Chand Reddy shared a clip of Rahul Gandhi wherein he addressed a press conference while opposing the farm laws, "I am also a son and I have the responsibility," Gandhi is heard saying in the clip. Tagore then asked Telugu/ Tamil culture doesn't teach about taking care of parents. 

READ | Congress slams KCR's anti-BJP front; dubs him, Patnaik & Jagan 'ATMs' in furious rant

Slamming K Chandrashekhar Rao for pitching an anti-BJP front ahead of the GHMC elections, Congress leader Manickam Tagore had earlier said that KCR is "ATM" which means "Anytime Modi supporters". Taking to Twitter, Tagore had said that KCR supports the saffron party in Rajya Sabha and alleged that he is attempting to confuse those who oppose Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah. He had coined the word "ATM - Anytime Modi" for Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik, Andhra Pradesh CM Jagan Mohan Reddy as well as KCR. 

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What are the new agrarian laws?

The Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020 aims at freeing the farmers from the constraints of the state Agriculture Produce Market Committees whereby they would be able to sell their produce anywhere. Meanwhile, The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020 protects and empowers farmers to engage with processors, wholesalers, large retailers, exporters for farm services. This entails the provision of contract farming. On the other hand, The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020 specifies that the supply of foodstuffs including cereals, pulses, potato, edible oilseeds, and oils shall be regulated only under exceptional circumstances such as war, famine, extraordinary price rise, and natural calamity of a grave nature. 

Anti-BJP front?

In a big political development, Telangana CM K Chandrasekhar Rao has called a meeting of non-BJP leaders and parties in December. Sources said that an invitation for the closed-door meeting has been sent to NCP supremo Sharad Pawar, Trinamool's Mamata Banerjee, JDS chief Kumaraswamy, Samajwadi party chief Akhilesh Yadav, BSP supremo Mayawati, Shiromani Akali Dal's Prakash Singh Badal, BJD's Naveen Patnaik and DMK's Stalin. Sources said that many other political parties can take part in the proposed meeting and the leaders are set to discuss a strategy to form an anti-BJP platform. 

This comes at a time when BJP along with its ally JDU has registered another poll victory in Bihar and has won several bypolls including the sole bypoll in Telangana, at Dubbak. While a leadership crisis is haunting the Congress once again with its allies blaming the grand-old party for poor performance, the BJP has also lost its allies - SAD and Shiv Sena - in the recent past. 

READ | After 'anti-BJP Front' Call, Telangana CM KCR Confident Of TRS Victory In GHMC Polls

READ | Congress Slams KCR's Anti-BJP Front; Dubs Him, Patnaik & Jagan 'ATMs' In Furious Rant