Farm bills protest take fiery turn: tractors set on fire at India Gate

A tractor was set on fire near India Gate in Delhi on Monday during protests against the controversial farm Bills.

According to reports, close to 15-20 unidentified people belonging to the Punjab Youth Congress gathered at the India Gate on Monday morning and set the tractor on fire. The incident took place around at 7.42 am and two fire tenders were rushed to the spot.

The group of people gathered at the spot raised slogans like “Shaheed-e-Azam Bhagat Singh Amar rahe” (Long live Shaheed Bhagat Singh), and “Kisaan-Virodhi, Narendra Modi” (Anti-farmers, Narendra Modi).’

The incident comes amid protests by farmers and opposition parties across the country over the contentious farm legislations that were passed by the Parliament last week.

Meanwhile, Union Environment and Forest Minister Prakash Javadekar slammed Congress and called it a drama. “Congress workers brought tractor near India Gate and set it on fire. This is the drama of Congress. Hence, the Congress was evicted from power by the people,” Javadekar tweeted.

President Ram Nath Kovind on September 27 gave assent to three contentious farm bills passed in Parliament last week that have triggered farmers’ protest especially in Punjab and Haryana.

The three farm bills are: The Farmers’ 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.

The government said that these bills will allow farmers to sell their produce anywhere they want at a better price.

However farmers fear that the center’s reforms would pave a way for the dismantling of the minimum support price system, which might give big advantages to corporates, leaving farmers at their mercy.