Protesting farmers in Punjab, Haryana beat 'thalis' during PM's 'Mann Ki Baat' radio programme

Toll-free movement of vehicles in Haryana till our demands are met: Farmer unions

Intensifying their agitation against the new farm laws, farmer unions in Haryana announced that they will continue to allow toll-free movement of vehicles on highways until the Centre accepts their demands.

Initially, farmers said no toll fee would be collected on highways for three days, from December 25 to December 27. But with a large number of people taking to the highways daily to stage protests at toll plazas, the agitators today announced to make it free for an indefinite period.
Read |Protesting farmers beat thaalis during PM Modi’s Mann Ki Baat address

Haryana Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU) president Gurnam Singh Chaduni said, “Today, we went to many toll plazas. There was an opinion of the common man that these toll plazas be made free permanently. In our national executive too, we have decided to make the toll plaza free for the movement of vehicles till the government doesn’t accept our demands. To ensure smooth functioning of agitation at toll plazas, the committees should be formed. The committees consisting of five to 15 members at every toll plaza will talk to the officers, if needed.”

Chaduni also addressed farmers at Makdoli toll plaza on Rohtak-Panipat national highway where the agitators are staging for the past three days.

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However, the CM’s meeting has already been postponed with state Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister JP Dalal claiming it was done keeping in the civic body elections scheduled on Sunday. On Saturday, Khattar did not go to Bhiwani too where he was scheduled to inaugurate a building at Chaudhary Bansi Lal University. He inaugurated the building through online mode.

An official source from the university said the CM’s visit was postponed keeping in view the farmers’ agitation. However, a spokesperson from Dalal’s office claimed there was already a programme of inauguration of the building through online mode only. Khattar had faced a major protest in Ambala recently where the angry farmers had showed him black flags.

The protesters Saturday gheraoed residence of Haryana JJP president Nishan Singh at his native village Mamupur in Fatehabad district asking him to withdraw the support from BJP-JJP government. They said the JJP had won 10 seats in 2019 Assembly polls mainly because of votes from farming community.

136th foundation day of Congress: Rahul Gandhi absent, farmers’ protest focus of tomorrow’s events

The 136th foundation day of the Indian National Congress will be observed through various campaigns on December 28. The All India Congress Committee earlier asked the state units to come up with innovative campaign ideas to connect with the youth. Tiranga Yatra and Selfie with Tiranga are two campaigns that the party has launched apparently to engage with people on nationalism plank. However, Rahul Gandhi is out of India and will be away for a few days, Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala confirmed on Sunday after reports of him leaving the country a day ahead of the party’s foundation day started doing the rounds on social media.

The focus of this foundation day will also be on the ongoing farmers’ protest which the party has been supporting from the beginning. Rahul Gandhi has also sharpened his attack on the government and PM Modi regarding the farmers’ protest.

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The Indian National Congress was formed on December 28, 1885, and its first session was held in then Bombay from December 28 to December 31. Umesh Chandra Banerjee was the first president of Congress.

“INC has been at the forefront in the efforts to forge a secular, democratic and united India, an India which is a world leader in all fields and has always put India first despite all odds and obstacles. The INC fought for and won India’s independence, forged the constitutional idea of India, built up the nation from one of the poorest (when India gained independence) in the world to a global superpower,” AICC said in its press release.

The anniversary comes at a time when the Grand Old Party is battling crises both inside and outside. The electoral crisis has been aggravated by a rebellion inside as several veteran Congress leaders, including a few former CMs, wrote a letter demanding organisational reforms in the party.

On December 19, Congress president Sonia Gandhi met the dissenters and several other senior leaders at her 10, Janpath residence where it has been indicated that there will be an election for the president post. It was learnt that most leaders in the meeting opined that they want Rahul Gandhi as the president. The last election was held in 1997 under Sitaram Kesri at the Calcutta plenary.