Launching a direct attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress general secretary Smt. Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said on Wednesday, “Beneath the 56-inch chest, the Prime Minister has a small heart that beats for his billionaire friends.”

Attacking the Centre over the new farm laws, Congress leader Smt. Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on 10th February, 2021, told a rally in western Uttar Pradesh that if voted to power, her party would scrap them. She was speaking at a ‘KisanMahapanchayat’ in Saharanpur.

Questioning the intention of the government, Smt. Priyanka said that the PM was spending 20,000 crore on the redevelopment of the Parliament House and had money to buy two planes worth 16,000 crore but he didn’t fulfil his promise of paying the pending 15,000 crore of sugarcane farmers.

She said that the PM had time to visit several countries but he had no time to visit the borders of the city where he lives in, where thousands of farmers had been protesting against farm laws for 78 days. Smt. Priyanka also criticised the PM and the BJP leaders for making “fun of farmers” in Parliament.

She promised to repeal the laws if her party came to power.

Smt. Priyanka Gandhi Vadra launched the party’s ‘Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan’ campaign at the mahapanchayat, held in Chilkana Sultanpur area of Saharanpur.

Earlier, Smt. Priyanka Gandhi Vadra landed at the Jolly Grant airport in Dehradun and visited the shrine of Mata Shakumbari Devi and the dargah of HazratRaipuri before addressing the farmers in the Government Inter College grounds in Sultanpur Chilkana.

Drawing a parallel between the mythical story of the goddess and the farm laws, she described the laws as ‘demonic’ and against the interests of the farmers. She said that the laws were meant to encourage hoarding and weaken the MSP regime.

The ground was full and the crowd spilled onto adjoining roads.

The panchayat was held despite the administration’s orders that Section 144 of CRPC was in place in the district.

Priyanka Gandhi attacks Modi and his ‘Capitalist friends’ at Kisan Panchayat in Bijnor, demands repeal of laws

Chandpur, Bijnor, (Uttar Pradesh):Addressing her second ‘Kisan Panchayat’ in a week, Congress General Secretary Smt. Priyanka Gandhi on 15th February, 2021, lashed out at PM Narendra Modi and his ‘capitalist friends’ and reiterated that her party is standing solidly behind the farmers and their agitation.

“I am with you, Rahul Gandhi is with you. Each and every Congress worker is with you. I have faith in you that you will keep on fighting for your rights,” said Priyanka Gandhi at the rally held in UP’s Bijnor.

Elaborating how Modi and his ‘capitalist friends’ have captured the system, Smt. Priyanka said, “His (Modi) capitalist friends run the media in this country. The elections are also run with the help of the same capitalist friends. The whole country has been given away to these capitalist friends.”

Addressing the farmers in Chandpur at Bijnor, the Congress General Secretary said, “All the three Union farm laws have been implemented for billionaires and not for the farmers. The farmers have been sitting at the Delhi borders in the chilling cold for the last 80 days and are also facing the scorching heat, but Prime Minister Modi is not ready to repeal the farm laws. In the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, the people reposed their faith in Modi but he broke their trust. In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Modi had promised employment but the people have not yet been provided jobs.”

Addressing the Panchayat which saw a strong participation even by women, Smt. Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said:

• The first farm law gives free hand to the corporates to buy and stock up as much agriculture products as they want which will eventually result in inflated prices. • The second law is designed to crush the existing APMC mandis — once private mandis take over the market. • The third law on contract farming will lead to the exploitation of farmers by the corporates.

Smt. Priyanka Gandhi Vadra launched a scathing attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and asked whether farmers’ income had doubled under the Modi government. The Congress leader said that Modi made fun of the farmers and called them ‘Andolanjeevi’ (protesters) and parasites. Modi Ji did not recognize the difference between patriots and traitors. He can visit America, China and Pakistan but cannot meet the farmers sitting in Delhi.

“Three lakh farmers, camping a few kilometres away from the PM’s residence, just want him to come and talk to them. But he does not have time for them,” said Priyanka Gandhi, demanding that the government repeal the newly-enacted agriculture laws.

Raising the issue of farmers’ sugarcane dues in UP, Smt. Priyanka Gandhi said that it has now reached Rs. 10,000 crores. “If we add up the dues of sugarcane farmers across India, a total of Rs. 15,000 crores is outstanding,” said she, adding that the PM cannot pay the dues of the farmers, but can buy two airplanes, worth Rs. 16,000 crores, to travel across the globe.

‘PM Modi disrespecting farmers’: Priyanka Gandhi at Kisan panchayat in Muzaffarnagar

Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh: Congress leader Smt. Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on 20th February, 2021, lashed out at the Central government over agricultural laws accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi of disrespecting the farmers.

While addressing a Kisan panchayat in Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh, the Congress general secretary said “Prime Minister Narendra Modi ridiculed the farmers, calling them ‘Andolanjivi’. When farmer leader Rakesh Tikait cries, our Prime Minister thinks it’s funny”.

She also warned the farmers that the Central government did not have their interests at heart and alleged that farmers are not getting a fair price for sugarcane.

“Just like humans, a country has a heart. Country lives when that heart beats. I believe our country’s heart is farmers, who are related to land - reaping and sowing in the land. They are the providers,” she said. “In 2018, diesel was priced at Rs. 60/litre and today it’s Rs. 80-90/litre. Electricity rates and prices of the gas cylinder are increasing but you’re not getting fair price of sugarcane,” the Congress leader added. Smt. Priyanka Gandhi Vadra questioned the government over rising fuel and power tariffs. “This government has earned Rs. 21,50,000 crore since 2014 by levying taxes on diesel and petrol, but they do not have the money to resolve the issues plaguing the farmers,” she averred.

In Muzaffarnagar, the Congress leader lamented that instead of talking to distraught farmers, who had been protesting on Delhi borders for the last 90 days, PM Modi had insulted them by calling them terrorists, Khalistani, ‘parjivi’ (parasites) and ‘andolanjivi’ (thriving on protest), in Parliament.

She, accusing the PM of insulting our ‘jawans’ safeguarding the borders of the country, said, “The jawans, protecting our borders, are the sons of these farmers. The PM has little regard for them also. He has insulted the jawans by not withdrawing the farm laws,” she maintained.

Concluding her speech, Smt. Priyanka Gandhi said that the Centre will have to back down and repeal the contentious farm laws. “I did not come to show my face for politics... I will keep coming. We will fight with you. Do not back down, this government is weak. This government will have to back down,” she said.