Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday slammed the Bharatiya Janata Party over its MP Kangana Ranaut's remarks calling for bringing back the three farm laws and demanded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi must clarify whether he was opposed to the comments or is "upto some mischief".
Gandhi asserted that any attempt to revive the farm laws will be met with opposition from the INDIA bloc.
Ranaut on Wednesday withdrew her remarks calling for bringing back the three farm laws and said those were her personal opinions and did not represent the party's stand.
The actor-politician said she must remember that she is not only an artiste but also a BJP member now and her statements should be in line with her party's policies.
In a video statement, Gandhi said, "The BJP people keep testing ideas. They ask someone to voice an idea among the people and then they see the reaction. This is what has happened, one of their MPs has talked about reviving the three black farm laws. Modi ji you must clarify, whether you are against this or you are again up to some mischief."
"Will the three farm laws be revived or not? If you do so, I guarantee you that the INDIA bloc will together stand against it. 700 people were martyred, they must be remembered and respected," the former Congress chief said.
"Modi ji had not allowed two minutes silence for them, we will never forget this," he said.
In a post in Hindi on X along with his video, Gandhi said, "Who is deciding the government's policy? A BJP MP or Prime Minister Modi?"
"Even after the martyrdom of more than 700 farmers, especially the farmers of Haryana and Punjab, the BJP people are not satisfied. INDIA will not allow any conspiracy of BJP against our farmers to succeed -- If any step is taken to harm the farmers, Modi ji will have to apologize again," the Congress leader said.
The Congress on Tuesday shared on X a video in which Ranaut said in Hindi, "Farm laws that have been repealed should be brought back. I think this may get controversial. The laws in farmers' interest be brought back. Farmers should themselves demand this (to bring farm laws back) so that there is no hindrance to their prosperity.
"Farmers are a pillar of strength in India's progress. Only in some states, they had objected to farm laws. I appeal with folded hands that farm laws should be brought back in the interest of farmers," she said.
The three laws -- Farmer's Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act; The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Act; and The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act -- were repealed in November 2021.
The farmers' protest started at the fag-end of November 2020 and ended after Parliament repealed the three laws. The legislations came into force in June 2020 and were repealed in November 2021.
