Rahul Gandhi declared war on people of India: Smriti Irani after Congress' warning of more farmers' protest

Her remark came after Gandhi warned Prime Minister Narendra Modi of more protests by the farmers against the Centre's contentious agriculture laws.

Gandhi said the "only solution" to the prolonged stand-off with farmers was to "put them (the laws) in the wastepaper basket".

"The government must not think that the farmers are going back home. They are not going home, and my concern is that this situation is going to spread. We do not need this situation to spread... we need a conversation with farmers, and we need a solution," Gandhi asserted.

He said the government cannot discredit their movement or weaken the farmers' morale by bullying them or creating conflicts. The entire country is with the farmers and the Centre cannot defeat their movement.

Accusing the Prime Minister of "working for a few corporates", Gandhi said: "What will he (the Prime Minister) say... I am telling the farmers 'don't give up an inch... we are with you'."

Reacting to this, Irani said: "Rahul Gandhi today declared war on the people of India. He said that if his political stand is not supported by the PM of our country, then cities will burn! I appeal to every Indian citizen to ensure that Rahul Gandhi's call for violence is met with sustained peace."

"Rahul Gandhi announced that the country would see the January 26 riots replicated in every city and even into slums... For the first time in history of India, a Congress leader asked for more violence instead of a call for peace," she added.

Lakhs of farmers across India are braving the chilly winters and police action to stay camped at the Delhi-Singhu border with the only demand that the Centre repeals the three farm laws passed by Parliament in September amid unprecedented chaos and allegations.

The Congress and other opposition parties have backed the farmers' protest.

On Jan 26, the situation went out of control after the tractor rally, which was called by the protesters, turned violent as several farmers broke police barricades, vandalised government properties and stormed into the Red Fort to implant a Sikh flag, injuring over 100 police personnel and causing the death of one peasant.

At least 22 First Information Reports (FIRs) have been lodged in connection with the violence, the Delhi Police had said.