Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra in her 5th Kisan Mahapanchayat in western UP at Kaily village of the district on Sunday called upon the farmers to intensify agitation against the three farm laws by protesting in their respective villages and appealed the public to stand by the farmers even for 100 more months if the need be.

Addressing a crowd in the mahapanchayat in Kaily, a village in Sardhana, Priyanka Gandhi asked the people to extend their support and give blessings to the farmers in their agitation against the three farm laws in their villages. She said if the need be “we should stand with the agitating farmers not just for 100 days but for the next 100 months”.

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Priyanka had arrived at the Mahapanchayat venue on a tractor accompanied by PCC UP chief Ajay Kumar Lallu and other party rank and files. People gave her a rousing welcome amid slogans of “Jai Jawan Jai Kisan” and “Priyanka Gandhi Jindabad”.

Starting with Saharanpur, she held similar mahapanhayats in Bijnore and Muzzaffarnagar districts in the past weeks.

“The first war of independence started from Meerut in which many people made supreme sacrifice and farmers gave their contribution. Now is the time to give strength to the farmers ,” she stated.

Comparing the BJP rule with the British Rule, Priyanka said as the farmers were exploited then, BJP is doing the same with them now. In 100 days of agitation over 200 farmers have been martyred and the government is mocking at it and insulting the farmers, she quipped and added that instead they could have initiated for dialogues with the agitating farmers.

The Congress leader said the government has introduced these laws to benefit corporates and these would reduce the income of farmers.

“If these farm laws were in favour of the farmers than why are they sitting at borders of Delhi for more than 100 days?” She questioned adding that the farmers are full of courage and valor. So should the PM not respect them.

Instead the water supply of the agitating farmers were cut, she lamented and charged the Prime Minister of mocking at the farmers. “His ministers did not even bother to stand to keep 2 minutes silence to pay tribute to the farmers who lost their lives during the agitation at the Delhi borders,” she charged.

Also raising the issue of sky rocketing hike in the prices of diesel, petrol, cooking gas and electricity, Priyanka said the government is running only to benefit its two friends.

Highlighting the problem of sugarcane farmers, Priyanka Gandhi attacked the government for non-payment of sugarcane dues. She said that sugar mills have to pay more than Rs 10,000 crore to the farmers, but instead of clearing these dues Modiji has bought two planes for himself spending Rs 16,000 crore. He spend Rs 20,000 crore on the new Parliament and Rs 26,000 crore have gone to the pockets of his friends from farmers insurance policy. She called upon the people to unite to bring about a change in the country.

“The time has come when you should wake up and know what wrong is being done to you,” she said to the farmers appealing them to raise the voice for their rights. She maintained a 2-minute silence in the Mahapanchayat to pay tribute to farmers who sacrificed their lives in this movement against the farm laws.

Women farmers:

From managing the stage, food and security to sharing tales of their struggles, and significance of taking part in the farmers’ agitation, thousands of women farmers, students and activists will take over key roles at the Singhu, Tikri and Ghazipur protest sites at Delhi’s borders on International Women’s Day on Monday, according to a PTI report from New Delhi.

Noting that women contribute significantly to the country’s farming sector, the organisers have laid out elaborate plans to let women farmers take centre stage and all the space under the sky to acknowledge the big but unrecognised part of the farming community.