CHANDIGARH: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and Punjab CM Amarinder Singh will lead tractor rallies from October 3 to October 5 in protest against the Union Government’s new agriculture laws. All the Punjab ministers and Congress MLAs will participate in the protest rallies, and so will AICC general secretary in-charge of state affairs, Harish Rawat and PCC chief Sunil Jakhar.
The rallies, the party said, were being held to give voice to the angst and pain of the farmers, whose livelihood and future has been put at stake by the central legislations. The tractor rallies, expected to be supported by farmer organisations, will cover more than 50 kilometres spread over three days in various districts and constituencies, according to a Congress spokesperson.
It is learnt that the Congress is hoping that all the disgruntled leaders, including Navjot Singh Sidhu, will come on one platform to put up a show of unity. The protest rally will start with a public meeting at Badni Kalan in Moga district, before moving through Lopon, Jagraon, Chakar, Lakha and Manoke before culminating eventually at Jattpura.
But Rahul’s plan faces an obstacle as the Haryana Police is unlikely to allow him entry from Punjab through Pehowa border. Haryana Home Minister Anil Vij announced that Rahul will not be allowed to enter the state at any cost. “Rahul can do whatever he likes in Punjab but not Haryana.’’
The rallies are scheduled to begin at around 11 am on each of the three days, and will be conducted amid strict COVID-19 protocols, said the spokesperson.
On October 3, the protest rally will cover a total distance of 22 km, starting with a public meeting at Badni Kalan (Nihal Singh Wala, Moga), before moving through Lopon (Nihal Singh Wala).
The rally will then move into Jagraon (Ludhiana), where it will be received at Chakar, Lakha and Manoke, culminating eventually in a public meeting Jattpura (Raikot, Ludhiana), said the spokesperson.
On October 4, Rahul Gandhi will travel by car to Bhawanigarh for a public meeting, before embarking on tractors to Samana (Patiala), where receptions will be held at Fatehgarh Chhana and Bahmna, before ending the day with a public meeting at grain market in Samana.
On October 5, the protest will begin from Dudhan Sadhan (Patiala) with a public meeting, and the tractors will then travel 10 kms to Pehowa border, from where Rahul Gandhi will enter Haryana, for a series of programmes there, said the spokesperson.
According to sources in Haryana Congress, Rahul Gandhi is likely to address rallies at Kaithal and Pipli in Kurukshetra district along the national highway on October 5 after which he will return to delhi.
Farmers in Punjab and Haryana have been protesting against the farm laws and the Congress has demanded their rollback.
(With PTI inputs)