New Delhi, Sep 21 (UNI) The Congress on Monday said that it will launch a nationwide agitation against the government for the passage of the farm sector bills, which it termed as anti-farmer and anti-people.

Addressing reporters after a meeting of general secretaries and in-charge of states at the AICC headquarters, senior Congress leader AK Antony said, 'from September 24 onwards, Congress will launch an all-India agitation against the government for passing this anti-farmer and anti-people laws by throwing to winds all democratic conventions. Through the agitation, we will ask the government to repeal these laws.

The agitation will continue till the government repeals the “anti-farmer, anti-poor and anti-people laws.'

The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill, 2020 and the Farming Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020 were passed in the Rajya Sabha by voice vote amid din.

The protesting Opposition members alleged that their demand for a division on their amendment seeking that the Bills be sent to a select committee of the Upper House were ignored by the government.

The meeting of the AICC General Secretaries was chaired by a six-member special committee formed by Congress president Sonia Gandhi to help her in organisational and operational matters.

AICC general secretary in-charge of organisation KC Venugopal said, 'the way in which the farm sector bills were bulldozed through in Parliament is totally unacceptable. What we witnessed in Rajya Sabha yesterday and today was something that we did not expect from a democratic government. We had given amendment and resolutions to send the Bills to a select committee of the Rajya Sabha to enable wider consultations on the legislations which will impact several sections. But it was not accepted by the government.
The Congress will organize a series of nationwide programmes in support of the farmers. As part of the nationwide protests, a series of press conferences will be organized across the country. PCC chiefs and legislature party leaders along with former ministers, MPs and MLAs will walk to the respective Raj Bhavans and submit a memorandum to Governors to be passed on to President Ram Nath Kovind.'

Senior leader Ahmed Patel said that the meeting was held under the directions of Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi.

'This government has violated all democratic norms in passage of the Bills. The Congress will take this issue to the people of the country,' he said.

The two agricultural reform bills — the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill, 2020 and the Farming Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020 — were cleared by voice vote in Parliament even as the Opposition protested and stormed the well of the House seeking that they be sent to a select committee.
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