Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday tweeted a question while listing names of dictators that start with the letter ‘M’, starting with Philippine President Ferdinand E. Marcos and ending with Burundi’s Michel Micombero.
“Why do so many dictators have names that begin with M? Marcos, Mussolini, Milošević, Mubarak, Mobutu, Musharraf, Micombero,” the Congress leader wrote.
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Gandhi has been at the forefront of the party’s attacks on Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government, seeking repeal of farm laws that have drawn widespread protests from farmers. On Tuesday, tweeting photos of warlike fortifications of agitation sites along Delhi’s borders, Gandhi wrote, “Build bridges, not walls“.
Wednesday was also the day when several Hollywood celebs and activists came out in support of the protesting farmers. Among them being Rihanna, Vanessa Nakate, Lily Singh and Greta Thunberg. The Ministry of External Affairs in Delhi responded by calling these reactions, ‘inaccurate and irresponsible’.
Thousands of farmers, mainly from Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh, are protesting at several places along Delhi’s borders against the three laws — the Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, and the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act.
The protesters call these laws anti-farmer and allege that they will lead to corporatisation of agriculture.
The more than 2-month long protest had been largely peaceful till January 26. On Republic Day violence broke out during the tractor rally as protesters deviated from a pre-decided path and clashed with police at central Delhi’s ITO and Red Fort areas.