Farmers should be given rights, compensation, jobs: Rahul Gandhi in Lok Sabha

New Delhi, Dec 07: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday came out in support of protesting farmers and said that they should be given rights, compensation and jobs.

"Around 700 farmers died in farmers' agitation. PM Modi apologised to the nation and farmers of the nation. He accepted that he made a mistake. On 30th, Agriculture Minister was asked a question - how many farmers died in the agitation? He said he doesn't have any data," said Congress MP Rahul Gandhi in LS.

"We found out that Punjab Govt has given Rs 5 Lakh compensation for around 400 farmers; also provided jobs for 152 of them. I have the list. We have made another list of 70 farmers from Haryana. Your govt says that you don't have their names," he said.

"I want that the farmers be given their rights, they should be given compensation as well as jobs," he added.

On Dec 1, Tomar had informed Parliament that the government has "no record" of farmers death, who were protesting the three contentious farm laws that have now been repealed, over the last one year at Delhi borders.

"The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmer's Welfare has no record in the matter and hence the question does not arise,", said Government in Parliament to the question on whether it proposes to provide financial assistance to the kin of farmers who died during the agitation'.

Farmer Unions have claimed that over 700 farmers perished while protesting against the contentious agri laws at the Singhu, Tikri and Ghazipur borders since November 2020. The repeal of these three legislations has been one of the key demands of around 40 farmer unions protesting against these reforms for nearly a year now at various Delhi border points.