Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has hardened his stand against the Centre’s farm laws, saying that his government will bring a bill against these contentious agricultural laws on the lines of Punjab.
Gehlot announced this on Twitter, hours after the Punjab Assembly unanimously passed four bills and adopted a resolution against the Central government laws. Apart from these laws, Gehlot also criticised the BJP national president J.P. Nadda’s statement on the implementation of CAA.
By taking a firm stand against farm laws and targeting BJP over CAA, Gehlot has set the stage for his direct confrontation with the Central government as well as the BJP.
“INC under the leadership of Smt #SoniaGandhi ji & #RahulGandhi ji stands absolutely with our annadatas and will continue to oppose the anti-farmer laws passed by NDA Govt. Today Congress Govt in #Punjab has passed Bills against these laws & #Rajasthan will follow soon,” Gehlot tweeted on Tuesday night.
In the meeting of the state council of ministers held at the CM’s residence, the effects of Centre’s three new laws on the farmers were discussed. The council of ministers decided that a special session of the Assembly will be convened soon and amendment bills will be brought to preserve the interests of the farmers. The special Assembly session is likely to be convened in the first week of November, sources said.
The Congress leadership had recently suggested states where the party is in power to pass laws of their own, negating the Central legislation.
Meanwhile, Gehlot termed “most unfortunate” Nadda’s statement on implementation of CAA. Nadda had on Monday said the execution of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) has been delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic and asserted that the law would be implemented soon.
Gehlot tweeted, “BJP President J.P. Nadda ji’s statement regarding implementation of #CAA is most unfortunate. Even before Covid-19 pandemic started, there were communal tensions in the country & the situation was very tense in a number of areas due to BJP’s insistence on implementing CAA.”
Gehlot has given ample indications that he is going to be aggressive against both the farm laws and the CAA.
Congress interim chief Sonia Gandhi and former party president Rahul Gandhi have already been offensive against the Central government over issues such as farms laws, women safety and atrocity on Dalits.
Rahul had staged a dharna against the Hathras incident and agricultural laws. Moreover, the Congress workers have been asked to follow suit, and a detailed programme has already been given to them.
Getting more active, Rajasthan CM Gehlot is holding regular meetings with state PCC chief Govind Singh Dotasra reviewing the agitational activities to be carried out by the workers as per the party programme. Gehlot also announced to organise agitation throughout the month of November in the state.
Meanwhile, after the Gehlot government’s decision to hold a special Assembly session to counter the Centre’s farm laws, BJP state president Satish Punia and leader of Opposition Gulab Chand Kataria hit out at the state regime accusing it of misguiding farmers. Indications are clear that this is going to lead to a long political battle in Rajasthan, with the Congress and the BJP being on collision course. Observers believe that the issue of the Constitution may also come up as it is binding on the state to implement the Centre laws.
Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh has already made it clear that he will go ahead with his plan against the farm laws regardless of what the Centre does. Punjab is the only state where farmers’ issues have gained momentum considerably. The strategy of the Congress is to unite the farmers against the agricultural laws. If the states ruled by non-BJP parties get united on the issue of farmers, then the Centre will have a tough time ahead. Gehlot is sparing no effort to ensure that the Congress movement against these laws gets bigger and formidable one.
