Former Congress president and LoP in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday sought Prime Minister Narendra Modi's clarification on Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Kangana Ranaut's remarks calling for bringing back the three farm laws that were repealed in 2021.
In a post on X, Gandhi said, "Who is deciding the government's policy? A BJP MP or Prime Minister Modi? Even after the martyrdom of more than 700 farmers, especially the farmers of Haryana and Punjab, the BJP people are not satisfied."
"INDIA (bloc) will not allow any conspiracy of BJP against our farmers to succeed - If any step is taken to harm the farmers, Modi ji will have to apologise again," his post read.
Country now knows BJP's anti-farmer mindset: Kharge
Gandhi's reaction comes hours after Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge slammed the BJP over Ranaut's remarks, saying poll-bound states including Haryana would give a befitting reply to the ruling party. In an apparent response to Ranaut's remarks, Kharge said, "Even after the martyrdom of 750 farmers, the anti-farmer BJP and Modi government did not realize their grave crime! There is talk of re-implementation of the three black anti-farmer laws. The Congress Party strongly opposes this."
The 62 crore farmers will not forget that the Modi government crushed farmers under a vehicle, used barbed wire, teargas from drones, nails and guns against them, he added. "This time, poll-bound states, including Haryana, will give a befitting reply to insulting remarks, calling farmers 'andolanjeevi' and 'parasites', hurled by the Prime Minister himself in Parliament," the Congress chief said in a post in Hindi.
What Ranaut said about the scrapped farm laws
The Congress on Tuesday shared on X a video in which she said in Hindi, "Farm laws that have been repealed should be brought back. I think this may get controversial. The laws in farmers' interest be brought back.
Farmers should themselves demand this (to bring farm laws back) so that there is no hindrance to their prosperity."
"Farmers are a pillar of strength in India's progress. Only in some states, they had objected to farm laws. I appeal with folded hands that farm laws should be brought back in the interest of farmers," she said.
Ranaut withdraws her statement
As the row over her statement snowballed amid elections in two states - Haryana and Jammu and Kashmir, she withdrew her remarks and expressed regret. The actor-turned-politician also said those were her personal opinion and did not represent the party's stand.
(With PTI inputs)
