Kurukshetra / Ambala: The Bharat Jodo Yatra, which continues under the leadership of Rahul Gandhi, reached Ambala from Dharma Nagri Kurukshetra. Thousands of women participated in Bharat Jodo Yatra despite heavy smog and biting cold on Monday on the occasion of Women’s day. Rahul Gandhi’s yatra was warmly welcomed by 50 women on reaching Tyoda village in Shahabad. Rahul Gandhi also met the families of farmers and women farmers who were martyred in the farmer’s movement. Farmer leaders of Haryana told Rahul Gandhi that Leader of Opposition Bhupinder Singh Hooda had given financial assistance of Rs 2 lakh each to the families of martyred families. Farmer leaders said that during the agitation, MP Deepender Hooda helped in providing water, electricity, medical facilities and sanitation facilities at various dharnas.
On this occasion, representatives of various farmer organizations of the country, including Haryana, discussed in detail the problems of the farmers, including the MSP guarantee. Farmer leaders also said the current government did not live up to the written agreement made by the government during the farmer’s movement last year.
In the meeting held in the presence of former Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, State Congress in-charge Shakti Singh Gohil, State Congress President Udaybhan, Deepender Hooda, Rahul Gandhi listened to the farmers carefully. During this mainly representatives of farmer organizations including Rakesh Tikait, Yudhveer Singh, Yogendra Yadav, Virendra Narwal, Prahlad Barukheda, Mandeep Nathwan, Joginder Nain, Rajbala, Deepak Lamba, Tejveer, Jagdeep Aulakh, Jogendra Tiger were present.
On this occasion, former Chief Minister of Haryana Bhupinder Singh Hooda said BJP government had failed on its promises of doubling farmers income by the year 2022. “The anti-farmer face of the government has been completely exposed. The farmer is feeling cheated. Today the sugarcane farmers are on the streets but the government remains indifferent to the agitation. In 2015-16, the rate of sugarcane was Rs 317, if the income of the farmers had to be doubled, the rate should have been Rs 634,” he said, pointing out the rate is only Rs 362 per quintal.
“The income of the farmers has not doubled, on the contrary, the debt and expenditure on the farmers have definitely doubled. The loan on farmers has increased from 9 lakh to 18 lakh crore. The prices of diesel-petrol, fertilizers are increasing rapidly. By imposing tax on agricultural equipment, the government has only reduced the income of the farmers,” he added. He said the Congress government in Haryana had increased the rate of sugarcane by a record breaking Rs 193, taking the rate from Rs 117 to Rs 310. “Along with this, timely payment was also ensured, at the time of leaving the government in 2014, the sugarcane mills did not owe a single penny to the farmers,” he pointed out.
Former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda said brotherhood is increasing in the whole country and the atmosphere of hatred is ending due to Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra. “Immense public support is being received from wherever the Yatra is reaching in Haryana. There is tremendous enthusiasm not only among the public regarding the Yatra, but also given new energy to the Congress workers,” he said.
On the initiative of Member of Parliament Deepender Hooda, today the girl students of Government Girls High School of village Khairampur, Hisar along with their parents met Rahul Gandhi and raised the issue of closure of government schools in the state and shortage of teachers in government schools. These mainly included 10th class student Pooja Rani, daughter of Kiran, Chanchal, daughter of Rajbala and Jyoti.
Apart from this, Deepender Hooda also got Rahul Gandhi to meet Haryanvi writers and artists. In which included SP Singh, Subhash Chandra and others. Bharat Jodo Yatra started today from Khanpur Koliya village of Kurukshetra and reached Shahbad crossing Ladwa road. After this, again starting from Saha crossing, Mohra Maulana reached Ambala where the yatra would halt for the night at the new grain market of Ambala Cantt.
While addressing the public meeting held at Modha Mullana, Rahul Gandhi thanked the people of the state for making this visit special in Haryana. “Haryana has shown all other states what it is and what it can do. This land is the land of Mahabharata. The fight that was then is the same fight today,” he said. “Pandavas were ascetic, they did not spread hatred on this earth. In Mahabharata, on one side there were 5 ascetics and on the other side there was a crowded organization. Pandavas also worked against injustice. The Kauravas of the 21st century wear khaki half pants, have sticks in their hands and organise Shakhas. Richest billionaires 2-3 of India are standing with Kauravas. Who got the demonetisation, wrong GST done, for whom was it done and against whom it was done? The power of 2-3 billionaires of India made Modi ji implement demonetisation and wrong GST. Demonetisation, wrong GST and Kisan Bill are the way to steal from the ascetics of the earth,” he stated.
