Nadda, Rahul face off over effigy burning of PM Modi in Punjab

Farmers gather as they burn effigies of India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi (C), Chairman of Reliance Industries Ltd company Mukesh Ambani (R), and Chairman and Founder of the Adani Group Gautam Adani, to protest against corporate businesses following the recent passing of agriculture bills in the Parliament, during a demonstration in Amritsar. Credit: AFP

Youth Congress activists burnt effigies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Dussehra in Punjab as a mark of protest against the farm sector reforms, drawing sharp reaction from BJP President J P Nadda.

Rahul Gandhi termed the Punjab incident as a “dangerous precedent” and urged the Prime Minister to reach out to the farmers in the state and provide a healing touch.

Read | Punjab farmers burn effigies of PM Modi, Union govt

“This happened all over Punjab yesterday. It’s sad that Punjab is feeling such anger towards PM. This is a very dangerous precedent and is bad for our country. PM should reach out, listen and give a healing touch quickly,” the former Congress President said on Twitter tagging a report of the incident in Punjab.

Nadda hit out at the Congress, and described the burning of the Prime Minister’s effigy as a “Rahul Gandhi-directed drama”.

“The Rahul Gandhi-directed drama of burning PM’s effigy in Punjab is shameful but not unexpected,” the BJP President said.

“After all, the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty has NEVER respected the office of the PM. This was seen in the institutional weakening of the PM’s authority during the UPA years of 2004-2014,” Nadda said in a tweet.

Farmers in Punjab have been protesting the passage of the three farm sector laws, which they believe would put an end to the minimum support price regime for agri produce in the country.

Punjab assembly had passed bills rejecting the three farm sector laws passed by the Centre in September. Congress-ruled states of Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan are scheduled to pass similar legislations in their respective assemblies.

BJP has accused the Congress of misleading the farmers and asserted that the MSP regime would continue. It has been arguing that the new laws allow them to sell their produce anywhere in the country by easing the curbs and restrictions under the Agricultural Produce Marketing Committees.