Odisha Channel Bureau
Bhubaneswar: Hundreds of farmers took to the streets in all districts of Odisha on Friday to register their protest against the three farms bills that were recently passed in Parliament amid strong opposition by many parties.
Farmers’ organisations backed by and opposition parties that organised road blocks at various locations demanded that the three bills be withdrawn since they would hamper their interests in a big way.
The agitating farmers, however, were whisked away by the police from the places of their protest in Bhubaneswar, Cuttack and many other places, according to reports.
The agitating farmers also burnt the effigy of Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Master Canteen Square in Bhubaneswar and raised slogans against the Central government.
The protests were part of the nationwide bandh call given by over 250 farmer and farm-worker organisations.
The three controversial bills that were passed in Parliament are the Farmer’s Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020, the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill, 2020 and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill, 2020.
While the Centre has defended the bills, the Congress and many other opposition parties have said that these new laws were pro-corporate and would enslave the farmers.
“A flawed GST destroyed MSMEs. The new agriculture laws will enslave our farmers,” said former Congress president Rahul Gandhi said in a tweet extending support to the Bharat Bandh by farmers.
Gandhi also interacted with several farmers online and shared the video on his Twitter handle in the evening.
किसानों से बातचीत करके एक बात साफ़ हो गयी- उन्हें मोदी सरकार पर रत्ती भर भी भरोसा नहीं है।
किसान भाइयों की बुलंद आवाज़ के साथ हम सब की आवाज़ भी जुड़ी है और आज पूरा देश मिलकर इन कृषि क़ानूनों का विरोध करता है।#ISupportBharatBandh pic.twitter.com/r2Xhuy10wf
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) September 25, 2020
