Parliament winter session: The Congress plans to corner centre on farm laws
Congress MP Rahul Gandhi has primed his party for the big confrontation over agricultural issues with the BJP-led centre in parliament today. In a tweet this morning, Mr Gandhi referring to the protest by farmers over three controversial farm laws, which the centre would cancel using a single bill during the winter session that starts today, said the opposition will ensure a "sunrise for farmers in parliament".
The opposition is likely to corner the government on issues including the Pegasus spyware row and price rise, apart from the bill to cancel the farm laws, during the 25-day winter session of parliament. At least 36 bills are likely to be passed during this period.
After arriving outside parliament house, Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, party leaders and Rahul Gandhi stood in front of Mahatma Gandhi's statue and shouted slogans against the BJP-led centre. "We demand repeal of black laws," read a large protest banner carried by the Congress leaders.
After nearly a year of protest by farmers, especially from Punjab and Haryana, Prime Minister Narendra Modi this month announced the centre would cancel the three farm laws.
The opposition parties and some farmer leaders have criticised the move as coming a bit too late. They see the assembly election in Uttar Pradesh early next year as having given an effect on PM Modi's climbdown on the farm laws. A large section of farmers in UP have been protesting against the laws too.