‘How can a democratic govt act like this?’: Cong MP Venugopal

On Saturday, Congress leader KC Venugopal targeted the Centre and criticised it over the ongoing farmers’ agitation against the new farm laws. He raised questions on the ruling government’s treatment towards the protesters. The leader underscored the dichotomy by saying that on one hand, the Centre was ready for talks with them and on the other, it withdrew water and electricity connection at the protest sites.

Congress leader KC Venugopal took a swipe on the Centre and said, “Farmers are on streets for 71 days, they’re struggling. On one hand, the government is ready for talks, while on other hand they are withdrawing water connection, electricity connection. They are harassing farmers, how can a democratic govt act like this?”

On Friday, Venugopal showed his support to the farmers and said that the Congress fully backed the protest. He further appealed to the Centre to climb down from the “high horse of false and misplaced pride” and agree to all the justified demands of the protesters by scrapping the laws. The 3 contentious farm laws were passed by the Parliament in September.

Venugopal also pointed out that the protests were not only aimed at protecting agriculture and farming but also towards saving the public distribution system. The congress leader slammed BJP by saying, “However, the power-drunk Modi government is trying every mean trick of the trade to tire out and defame the protesting millions.”

Meanwhile, on Saturday, the farmers protested against the ban on internet services at protest sites and conducted a countrywide highway blockade. This ‘Chakka Jam’ went on for 3 hours (12pm-3pm). The police beefed up the security at the Ghazipur, Tikri and other such border points. The Delhi police had detained several protestors in the Shahidi Park area in Delhi. To maintain the law and order in the Delhi-NCR region, the police had deployed nearly 50,000 security personnel, including paramilitary and reserve forces.