Asthe farmers' agitation entered the 25th day on Sunday, former Uttarakhand ChiefMinister and general secretary of All India Congress Committee (AICC) HarishRawat visited one of the protest sites here on the Delhi border, warning theCentral government, saying "the one who will fight the farmer, will fightwith God".
Rawat'scomments came during his afternoon visit at Ghazipur on Delhi-Uttar Pradeshborder in east Delhi where hundreds of farmers belonging to western UttarPradesh have been protesting on the road since November 27. The farmers aresupporting thousands of other farmers sitting on the agitation since November26 at Singhu and Tikri borders between Delhi and Haryana, braving the chillywinter nights under open skies.
Raising'Kisan Ekta Zindabad' slogan while addressing the demonstrators at Ghazipurborder, Rawat said: "I have come here as a farmer. One who will fight thefarmer will fight with God." Rawatalso warned the Central government to "understand" the message,saying he has not come at the protest site to do politics.
Theongoing farmers' agitation has been a major challenge for the Centralgovernment as there is no solution to the issue even after 25 days ofcontinuous protest with both sides adamant -- farmers seeking withdrawal ofthree contentious farm laws enacted in September during Monsoon Session ofParliament and the government rejecting farmers' demand saying it is ready tomake amendments but cannot scrap these laws which are beneficial for thefarmers.
Rawat'svisit comes a day after his meeting with Congress President Sonia Gandhi inDelhi in which he is learnt to have raised the political situation ofUttarakhand, Punjab and the ongoing farmer agitation.
Theformer Uttarakhand CM's involvement in such moves is significant as theAssembly elections are scheduled in Uttarakhand in the early part of 2022 andit is speculated that the Congress can bring Rawat at centrestage for thecrucial battle.
TheUttarakhand Congress is divided sharply into factions headed by Rawat andcombined faction led by Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) president Pritam Singhand Leader of Opposition (LoP) Indira Hridayesh.