"You have ended roads": Rahul Gandhi adds fresh intellectual leap in farm laws debate

Addressing a gathering on the concluding day of his "Kheti Bachao Yatra" which started from Punjab's Moga district on Sunday, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi claiming that he is 'lying' about the farm laws. Terming it 'India's fight', Rahul Gandhi claimed that if the provisions under the new farm laws are implemented, "farmers will become slaves of corporates."

Moreover, fearmongering on the farm laws, Rahul Gandhi said that the land of the farmers will be taken by the "chosen corporates of the Modi government" naming the 'Ambanis and Adanis'. "Whether you want to believe it or not, do remember that Rahul and Amarinder Singh once told you that your land will be snatched. This is the time to take action. If you wait for six months or one year, then it will be of no use"

Stating that the Congress party stood for the rights of the farmers, Rahul Gandhi further claimed that PM Narendra Modi criticised him "every day", but he and his party worked to "save land." Narendra Modi comes to Parliament and his first job is to repeal, abolish the laws. Congress party stood up and said that we will not let you do this," he said. Rahul Gandhi also added that the PM doesn't know the "power of the farmers of Haryana and Punjab", adding that the farmers will die but fight for his rights.

However, while the Opposition has been attacking the Modi government on the matter for weeks now, and with even the Akali Dal splitting with the NDA over the matter, Rahul Gandhi invoked a completely new line of attack that makes little sense:

"Narendra Modi says the farmers can sell their produce anywhere now. When there won't be roads then where will farmers go? Roads were built using mandi tax, and they've ended mandi tax, meaning you have ended roads."

Rahul simplified his attack to an extent that it takes a new and unrecognisable form, claiming that the Farm bills would combine to literally 'end roads', in a move that is similar to his infamous 'Supreme Court has said Chowkidaar chor hai' over the Rafale acquisition process, and before that, to his telling a Karnataka rally that the government has done away with the SC/ST Act, both of which were untrue. The Rafale remarks incurred the Supreme Court's wrath, with Rahul Gandhi subsequently being pulled up. 

READ | Haryana: Farmers marching towards DyCM Dushyant Chautala's residence tear-gassed, stopped

READ | Haryana BJP Neta Quits Party Over Farm Laws; says 'govt Should Address farmers' Concerns

PM Modi on the farm laws

Amid the politics, terming the passage of the farm bills in the Parliament as a "watershed moment", PM Modi had on Sunday reiterated that the MSP system and government procurement will continue. He added that these bills would enhance the efforts to double the income of farmers and ensure greater prosperity for them. Moreover, the PM predicted that the farmers shall have easier access to futuristic technology to boost production and yield better results. He gave an assurance that the NDA government will do everything possible to support them and facilitate a better life for their coming generations. In a veiled dig at the opposition, he mentioned that some forces were trying to mislead the farmers.

READ | Post Passage Of Bills, PM Modi Reassures Farmers On MSP System & Government Procurement

SAD quits NDA

However, BJP has also faced the blow due to the farm bill as the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), one of the oldest National Democratic Alliance (NDA) allies, parted ways with the party and its party leader Harsimrat Kaur Badal who was Union Minister resigned. Justifying its exit from the NDA, SAD cited 'Centre’s stubborn refusal to give statutory legislative guarantees to protect assured marketing of farmers crops on MSP and its continued insensitivity to Punjabi and Sikh issues', as the reason. However, a video surfaced in which Harsimrat Kaur Badal was seen praising the farm bills. 

READ | PM Modi Hails Passage Of 'historic' Farm Bills, Warns Of Attempt To Mislead Farmers