Withdraw cases lodged against farmers during agitation: Congress

PATNA: The

Bihar Pradesh Congress Committee

(BPCC) on Saturday demanded withdrawal of all the cases lodged against the farmers and their leaders for their protest over the three controversial farm bills since Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s announcement on Friday to repeal them.

Talking to reporters, BPCC president Madan Mohan Jha also urged the central government to accord the status of martyrs to the farmers who died during the agitation. He claimed that around 700 farmers died during the agitation.

Jha said the process to repeal the farm bills should start immediately, otherwise it would prove another ‘jumla’ like “promises to provide jobs to youths and Rs15 lakh in every citizen's bank account”.

He alleged that the central government under PM Modi has lost people’s faith due to hollow promises. “That’s why the agitating farmers have not returned home despite the PM’s announcement to repeal the bills,” he said.

Jha, however, credited former Congress president Rahul Gandhi for forcing the PM to make the announcement. The opposition and the farmers' groups kept the issue alive under the able leadership of Rahul Gandhi, he claimed.

He further said the Congress held ‘kisan satyagrah’ in 36 districts in the state as a mark of protest over the controversial farm bills.

The Congress leaders present at the press conference said the people who had described the farmers as ‘terrorists’ and ‘anti-nationals’ should publicly apologise for their remarks. Congress MLC Prem Chandra Mishra was also present on the occasion.