NEW DELHI, Oct 21: Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra today attacked the BJP-led government at the Centre over the new farm laws and alleged that farmers in Uttar Pradesh were forced to sell paddy at a rate lower than the minimum support price.
Taking to Twitter, she also posted a video of a farmer alleging corruption in crop procurement at the Mohammadi Khiri mandi.
“The BJP Government is holding a Government Khat Sammelan over the bills which are against the interest of the farmers, but is not listening to the pain of the farmers,” Priyanka Gandhi said in a tweet in Hindi.
“In almost all the places in UP, farmers are forced to sell their paddy crops at Rs 1,000 to 1,100 per quintal, about Rs 800 less than the Rs 1,868 per quintal MSP,” she said.
This is when there is a guarantee for MSP, think what will happen when this guarantee is not there, she added.
Her attack on the Government comes a day after the Punjab Assembly adopted a resolution rejecting the Centre’s new farm laws and passed four bills that it said will counter the contentious legislation enacted by Parliament.
The three farm bills — 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 — were passed by Parliament recently. Subsequently, President Ram Nath Kovind gave his assent to the bills. The Congress, many other opposition parties and several farmers organisations have been protesting against these legislations, claiming that these will harm the interests of farmers and benefit corporates, a claim denied by the Government. The Centre has asserted that these new laws will be beneficial for farmers and will increase their income. (PTI)

CHANDIGARH, Oct 21: Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh today cornered the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) over their ”double standards” with regard to the three Amendment Bills, which they had criticised publicly hours after supporting them in the Assembly.
The Chief Minister said he was amazed that they spoke in favour of the Bills in the Assembly, and even went with him to meet the Governor, but said different things outside. Talking to mediapersons after the House was adjourned sine die, he pointed out that the farmers had not said anything against the Bills, which were designed to safeguard their interests and those of the state’s agriculture.
It was more than clear that these parties were not interested in securing the future of the farmers or protecting the state’s agriculture and economy, the Chief Minister said, slamming SAD and AAP for playing to the galleries by pretending to back the Bills in the Assembly yesterday. Their lack of sincerity towards the farmers’ cause had been totally exposed by their statements thereafter, he said.
“If they thought we (I and my government) were fooling the people of Punjab, why did they not say so in the House? Why did they support and vote for our Bills?” asked Captain Amarinder, reacting to SAD leader Bikram Singh Majithia and AAP leadership’s statements. They had both accused the Chief Minister of misleading the people, citing his remarks on the possibility of the Governor/President not signing the Bills.
“If I had to fool the people why would I honestly share with them my apprehensions? Why would I openly talk about the possible scenarios instead of feeding them with a whole bunch of lies, as the Akalis and AAP are used to doing?” Captain Amarinder asked.
Both the Opposition parties had shown their true colours by trying to undermine the state government’s pro-farmer initiatives, which they had ostensibly backed in the House, said the Chief Minister, referring to the media/social media comments of Akali and AAP leaders.
He pointed out that these Opposition leaders had criticised his Government’s efforts to save the farmers soon after joining his government in passing a Resolution rejecting the central farm laws along with Bills to negate the same, and even going to Governor with him to submit copies to him. “Clearly they have no shame left,” he added.
Captain Amarinder said, in response to a question, that other parties, especially AAP which had a government in Delhi, should also bring in legislations siilar to those of Punjab to negate the dangerous effects of the central farm laws. Arvind Kejriwal should follow Punjab’s example, he said.
The Chief Minister reiterated that he does not care if the Centre dismisses his government but he would fight to protect the rights of the farmers till his last breath. “If Centre things I have done something wrong they can dismiss me, I am not afraid I have resigned twice earlier and can do it again,” he said in response to a question.
There are plenty of legal options, the Chief Minister remarked while replying to a question, but expressed the optimism that the Governor will fulfill his responsibility by listening to Punjab’s people. The voice of Punjab had reached the Governor and he will send the Bills to the President of India, said Captain Amarinder, adding that the latter could not ignore the sentiments and appeal of the state.
Earlier, in the House today, the Chief Minister waved copies of newspapers quoting Majithia on the issue, and quipped “these people say one thing in Assembly and another outside.” With this kind of behaviour, people will start doubting the integrity of politicians, he warned.
Meanwhile, in his media interaction, Captain Amarinder said, while responding to a question, that he was happy that Navjot Singh Sidhu came to the House yesterday and spoke well. (UNI)

NEW DELHI, Oct 21: Delhi’s vehicular pollution can be reduced by 15-20 per cent if commuters turn off their vehicle engines while waiting at traffic signals, city Environment Minister Gopal Rai said today.
Kickstarting the 26-day “Red Light On, Gaadi Off” campaign in the national capital from the ITO traffic signal, Rai appealed to the people of Delhi to act responsibly and stop burning fuel at traffic signals.
“The campaign is an attempt to reduce vehicular pollution. Delhi has around one crore registered vehicles. Altogether, vehicles burn fuel at traffic signals for around 15-20 minutes every day. This campaign aims to stop fuel-burning at signals.
“If the city’s two crore population joins this campaign and does its bit, then we can reduce around 15-20 per cent pollution from vehicles. This campaign is voluntary. I appeal to the people of Delhi to make it a success,” he said.
The Aam Admi Party (AAP) government’s campaign, which will go on till November 15, aims to spread ground-level awareness at 100 traffic signals in the capital. A total of 2,500 civil defence volunteers will be standing with placards, asking commuters to switch off the engines of their vehicles, at these signals.
Launching the initiative at the ITO intersection, Rai gave a flower to a commuter while requesting him to turn off the engine of his car.
He said Delhi can become pollution-free only if the government and the public work together.
“We have started the ‘Red Light On, Gaadi Off’ campaign today in Delhi. So far, the Delhi government and other agencies have been working to control pollution. But now, Delhi’s population of two crore people is being made a part of it to fulfil their responsibility in the fight against pollution. To make Delhi pollution-free, the government and the public must come together to fight it,” Rai told reporters.
Civil defence volunteer Geeta, a resident of Sadar Bazar, said she received a good response from the commuters, who are turning their vehicle engines off when asked to do so.
“The response is very good till now. People are switching off their engines when we are asking them. No one argued or refused to do so,” she said.
Another volunteer, Himanshu Wadhwa, a resident of Burari, said people were acting responsibly.
“We have noticed that people are aware about the deteriorating situation of pollution in the national capital. Many of them are already switching off their engines. They understand their responsibility,” he said.
The civil defence volunteers will spread awareness among people at the traffic signals from 8 am to 8 pm, Rai said.
The initiative is only an awareness drive and nobody will be issued a “challan”, the minister had said on Tuesday. (PTI)