Rahul Gandhi's anti-farm laws rally briefly stopped at Haryana border
New Delhi/IBNS: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was stopped briefly on Haryana border as he led the rally against the Centre's new farm laws from party-ruled Punjab.
Dozens of policemen stopped the progress of the three-day rally to Haryana, after which Rahul Gandhi said he would not budge even if he had to wait for 5000 hours.
"They have stopped us at the Haryana border. I will stay here until they open it. If it takes two hours then two hours. If it takes six hours then six, 10 hours then 10, 24 hours then 24, 100 hours, 200 hours, 500 hours...As many hours as it takes, I will not move," Rahul Gandhi was quoted as saying by NDTV.
"When they open the border, I will peacefully proceed. Until then I will peacefully wait here," he added.
Congress leaders along with hundreds of party activists, carrying flags and chanting slogans, tried to push through the police barricades.
They have stopped us on a bridge on the Haryana border. I’m not moving and am happy to wait here.
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) October 6, 2020
1 hour, 5 hours, 24 hours, 100 hours, 1000 hours or 5000 hours. pic.twitter.com/b9IjBSe7Bg
Later, Haryana's BJP government allowed a group of 100 people, after which three tractors, including that of Rahul Gandhi, entered the state. Senior Congress leaders from Punjab, accompanying Rahul Gandhi, returned from that point.
Gandhi had launched a three-day rally against the new farm laws on Sunday.
He will address two rallies in Haryana as part of Congress's "Kheti Bachao Yatra".
The opposition has waged a massive protest against the new reforms that they say will leave the farmers at the mercy of the corporates and deprive them of a fair deal of their produce.
Yesterday, pictures of Rahul Gandhi sitting in a tractor on what appeared to be a cushioned seat, provoked a jibe from Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri.
"The 'protest' launched by the Congress is a political protest by those whose vested interests are hurt by the farm bills. Cushioned sofas on tractors is not a protest... it is 'protest tourism' to misguide our farmers, who are educated and intelligent enough to see through this facade," Puri tweeted.
The 'protest' launched by Congress is a political protest by those whose vested interests are hurt by the #FarmBills.
— Hardeep Singh Puri (@HardeepSPuri) October 5, 2020
Cushioned sofas on tractors is not a protest.
It is ‘Protest Tourism’ to misguide our farmers who are educated & intelligent to see through this facade. pic.twitter.com/MiYz7IndYf
Today, also, Rahul Gsndhi was seen travelling in a tractor fitted with cushioned seats accompanied by Congress leaders.
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