Do your job: Rahul to PM on farmers’ protest

Aditi Tandon

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, February 3

A combative Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to do his job, and said the Prime Minister’s job was to heed farmers’ concerns and not to “sell the country to one per cent people.”

The Congress leader attacked the Prime Minister for not engaging the farmers and said, “Do your job. Your job is to protect the farmers. Go give them a hug. Ask them what you can do for them. But the PM has given up. He is on a different plane these days. He has a beard. We are going somewhere else now,” Gandhi said, adding that India’s global reputation had taken a hit because of the way “the government was treating farmers and its own people by fortifying Delhi.”

He also said the country was “lacking in leadership and everything was coming apart.”

The myth will break one day, he noted, adding that the reputation of India had taken a massive hit.

“Indian reputation has taken a hit not only for how we are treating our farmers, but also how we treat journalists. Our biggest strength, our soft power, has been shattered by the BJP and RSS, and their mindset,” said Gandhi.

On foreigners commenting about farm stir, he said the issue was internal to India.

Questioning the Prime Minister for telling the all-party meet that the offer of suspension of farm laws was on the table, Gandhi asked “what does that mean? The farmers do not want to talk to the Prime Minister. They want the farm laws repealed. You either believe you need to get rid of the laws or you don’t.”

On a question about the farmers being allegedly called anti-nationals by a section, Gandhi asked, “Are 60 pc agriculturists who grow food grain for us terrorists? Agriculture was the bright spot through COVID and now the spine of India is being broken.”

Earlier, Gandhi asked the government whether it was afraid of the farmers to be fortifying the National Capital.

Are farmers our enemies? They are our strength and crushing them is not the job of the government. The government‘s job is to talk to farmers and resolve the matter because this disharmony is not good for India. It is dangerous for India. The farmers won’t retreat. The government will have to retreat and the sooner the better,” he said.

Gandhi again asked the Home Minister to explain how some people stormed the Red Fort on Republic Day.

Rahul slams Union Budget

Slamming the Union Budget, Gandhi said, “The government has messed up the economy, harmony and defence and now wants to keep distracting India with non events. I see India is a dangerous situation. The world is in a flux. We have an aggressive China on the border.”

Gandhi accused the government of helping one per cent corporate through the Budget and giving no money to people, MSMEs or for the defence of the country at the time of alleged Chinese incursions at the LAC.

“What message are you giving to China, that you will not raise defence expenditure? What would the pilots and soldiers be thinking that they are facing a crisis and the government won’t give them money? Today the Armed Forces’ commitment is 100 per cent. The government’s commitment should be 110 pc. What kind of patriotism is this? “