Rahul Gandhi mocks Centre on farm laws

"Modi government, stop giving 'jumlas' (rhetoric) to farmers, stop the dishonesty and atrocities, stop giving them the falsehood of talks, (and) abolish all three black laws which are against farmers and labourers," Gandhi said in a Tweet

New Delhi: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday attacked the Centre over its claim of doubling farmers' income and alleged that their income has in fact "halved" under the "suit-boot" government, while that of its crony friends has grown four times. He also demanded that the government abolishes the three "black" farm laws which are against farmers and farm labourers and asked it not to befool them with rhetoric.

No immediate response was available from the government. Gandhi's remarks come at a time when farmers from Punjab and Haryana are protesting at the Singhu, Tikri and Ghazipur borders of the national capital against the Centre's new agriculture reform laws. "They (government) said farmers' income will be doubled. What they did was increase the income of (their) 'friends' four times and halved that of farmers. This is a government of suit-boot, lies and loot," the Congress leader said in a tweet in Hindi.

Gandhi also shared a video showing police using water cannons and firing tear gas shells during protests by farmers with a speech of Prime Minister Narendra Modi playing in the background wherein he says his government is taking steps to resolve the problems faced by farmers and double their income. "Modi government, stop giving 'jumlas' (rhetoric) to farmers, stop the dishonesty and atrocities, stop giving them the falsehood of talks, (and) abolish all three black laws which are against farmers and labourers," Gandhi said in another tweet.

The Congress has been attacking the government over the use of force against the protesting farmers and urged the dispensation to withdraw the new farm laws and redress the grievances of the protesters. Farmer unions say the three new laws will lead to the dismantling of the minimum support price (MSP) system, leaving farmers at the mercy of corporate houses. But the government says the MSP system will continue and the new laws will give farmers more options to sell their crop. Farm leaders met Union ministers on Tuesday, but the two sides failed to break the deadlock. The next round of talks is scheduled to be held on Thursday.