At Punjab rally, Rahul Gandhi slams Centre over farm laws
Moga (Punjab): Congress leader Rahul Gandhi hit out at the Centre on Sunday over the three new agriculture laws, asking why were the farmers agitating if these were meant for them.
Addressing a public meeting in Badhni Kalan in Punjab's Moga district, Gandhi asserted that the contentious Acts would be revoked if the Congress was voted to power. He wondered what was the "hurry" and need to implement these legislations amid the coronavirus pandemic.
"The prime minister says the laws are being framed for farmers. If the laws are being made for farmers, then why didn't you debate in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha?" Gandhi asked.
"And if farmers are happy with these laws, then why are they agitating across the country? Why is every farmer of Punjab agitating?"
Farmers have expressed apprehension that the Centre's farm reforms would pave the way for dismantling of the minimum support price system, leaving them at the "mercy" of big companies.
President Ram Nath Kovind has given assent to the Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill; Farmers' (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill; and Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill, which were passed by the Parliament last month.
Earlier, Gandhi arrived in Moga for leading tractor rallies across the state from Sunday till Tuesday in protest against the laws.
Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal, state Congress president Sunil Jakhar, party's Punjab incharge Harish Rawat and other leaders were present. Former minister and MLA Navjot Singh Sidhu, who had been staying away from all Congress activities, was also seen at the public meeting.
The tractor rallies, which have been named as 'Kheti Bachao Yatra', will cover more than 50 km over three days in various districts and constituencies.
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Bridge portion collapses on Jammu outskirts; 3-4 labourers feared trapped, 1 rescued
Jammu (PTI): A portion of a small bridge collapsed in the Bantalab area on the outskirts of Jammu city on Friday, trapping at least three to four labourers under the debris, while one injured worker was rescued, official sources said.
Authorities have closed the road link following the collapse of the portion of the bridge.
The incident occurred when labourers were carrying out repair work on a retaining wall near the bridge that was damaged in last year's flash floods, the sources said.
According to the sources, a section of the bridge suddenly gave way, burying workers engaged at the site under the rubble.
Police, Army and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) teams launched rescue operations to extricate those buried under the debris. They pulled out one injured labourer and shifted him to a hospital, the sources said.
Family members of the labourers present at the site said around six workers engaged at the site at the time of the incident came under the debris when the structure collapsed. The family members said while two of the labourers managed to escape, four got trapped.
The sources said those trapped included the husband of a woman labourer, a mason, an unmarried labourer and a relative of the contractor.
There was no official confirmation on the exact number of persons trapped under the debris till the filing of this report.
The rescue operations are ongoing.
