Delhi Police on Monday confiscated the tractor senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi drove to the Parliament to protest against the new farm laws. On July 26, Congress MP Rahul Gandhi drove a tractor to the Parliament to show his support for the protesting farmers. According to a report by Aaj Tak, since Section 144 is imposed in the region, Delhi Police confiscated the tractor and detained few Congress leaders, including Randeep Surjewala and Srinivas BV and Congress workers. They were taken into custody. Gandhi was not detained, and he went to attend the Monsoon session of the Parliament.
Gandhi had posted his photograph in which he was driving the tractor. He wrote, “If you force to sell the land then the tractor will run in Parliament. We will grow the crops of truth! Withdraw the anti-agriculture laws.”
https://twitter.com/RahulGandhi/status/1419544628982960129?ref_src=twsrc%5EtfwIn a statement, he said, “We have brought the message of farmers to the Parliament. They are not allowing to take up the issue of farmer protests in Parliament. They are crushing the voice of the farmers. They have to repeal the black laws.” He further alleged that the three laws that the Union government passed in September last year were for the benefit of 2-3 business houses.
https://twitter.com/newstakofficial/status/1419564695543975936?ref_src=twsrc%5EtfwKuljit Nagra, MLA from Fatehgarh Sahib, posted a video of Surjewala and others getting arrested. He said, “Delhi police has arrested and detained AICC General Secretary RS Surjewala. As much as it tries, the Narendra Modi government’s dictatorship attitude cannot dampen the spirit of Congress. Congress stands strong with farmers!”
https://twitter.com/kuljitnagra1/status/1419566878087802892?ref_src=twsrc%5EtfwIt is not yet clear whether Rahul Gandhi was in violation of traffic rules and whether he did have the licence to drive the agriculture tractor on the streets of Delhi.
The farmers’ protest
In September 2020, the government of India passed three laws for the benefit of the farmers. The laws would help them in doing contract farming with lesser burden. They would provide them with more options to sell produce and better storage facilities. However, people with vested interest brainwashed the farmers and launched protests against the government.
The farmer unions came together and formed Samyukt Kisan Morcha, comprising of farmer leaders majorly from Punjab and Haryana. The Punjab government allegedly supported the propaganda-driven farmer protests. In November 2020, the farmers reached the Delhi border, and since then, they have been camping there.
On Republic Day, the protesting farmers entered Delhi from unauthorized routes for Tractor Rally and created havoc. They destroyed properties worth crores and injured more than 300 police personnel. Now the union leaders are threatening similar rallies and protests on Independence Day. In a recent statement, they have threatened that they would not allow ministers to hoist National Flag on Independence Day in Haryana.