As farmers' protest enters Day 3, vegetable prices soar
Bhopal, June 3 : A 10-day nationwide protest called by farmer outfits entered its third day on Sunday in Madhya Pradesh, affecting vegetable and milk supply which in turn increased the vegetable prices.
There were no reports of violence during the "Gaon Bandh" (rural shutdown) which the farmers started on Friday demanding loan waiver, higher prices for their produce and immediate implementation of the Swaminathan Commission report on farming. Vegetables were sold at some places under police protection.
Aam Kisan Union chief Kedar Sirohi told IANS: "The farmers are supporting the agitation in a big way because of which the supplies are not reaching the cities (from villages). The government is trying to break the protest but has failed."
The protest was called ahead of the first anniversary of the death of several farmers in police firing in the state's Mandsaur (on June 6, 2017).
On Wednesday, a ceremony will be organised to pay tribute to the Mandsaur victims which will be attended by Congress President Rahul Gandhi.
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PM Modi, RSS strengthening wall in path of SCs, STs, OBCs: Rahul Gandhi
New Delhi (PTI): Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the RSS were strengthening the wall standing in the path of Dalits, Adivasis and OBCs, even as he acknowledged that the UPA took steps to weaken that wall but not to the extent it should have.
Addressing the 'Samvidhan Rakshak Abhiyaan', Gandhi also referred to the function held on Constitution Day in Parliament and said that it is his guarantee, that "Modi has not read" the Constitution.
"If PM Modi would have read this book then what he does daily, he would not do it," Gandhi said, displaying a copy of the Constitution of India.
Gandhi said the country's whole system is pitted against Dalits, Adivasis and backward class people.
He said a wall obstructs the path of Dalits, Adivasis and OBCs and Modi and the RSS are strengthening that wall by "adding cement to it".
"Slowly the wall (obstructing the path of SCs, STs, OBCs) is getting strengthened. Earlier, the UPA government gave MGNREGA, the land acquisition act, the right to food...those were ways to weaken that wall. Today, when I look back, I can say the UPA government did not weaken the wall to the extent it should have, it did not do it as strongly as it should have," Gandhi said.
"However, we used to make efforts to weaken that wall but they (the BJP) are strengthening that wall by adding concrete," the former Congress president said.
Gandhi said a caste survey being carried out in Telangana is a historic step and the Congress will do the same wherever it comes to power.
