New farm laws enacted to destroy Indian agriculture: Rahul Gandhi

New Delhi, Jan 19: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said today that the new farm laws were enacted to destroy Indian agriculture.

He said that he supports the protesting farmers. Every single person should support them as they are fighting for us, he also said. He said that he will not comment on the Supreme Court of India. India can see the reality of the SC, he also said.

The Congress leader also released a booklet highlighting the plight of the farmers in the wake of the Centre's three farm laws. The rice, wheat you (middle class) buy comes at the rate you purchase because of APMC and the agricultural system. This is not an assault on farmers but on the middle class and on every single youngster in the country, who is not able to get a job, he also said.

Rahul further said the if India does not give a clear message to China and make clear military, economic geopolitical strategy, China will not stay quiet, but make the most of it. China has a clear strategic vision in shaping the world, which India does not have. India does this and that but does not work strategically. China has tested twice, once in Doklam and then in Ladakh, the Congress leader also said.

Tens of thousands of farmers have been camping out on the outskirts of Delhi for nearly two months, with at least nine rounds of talks between the government and farmers' groups failing to resolve the deadlock.

The government on Monday postponed the tenth round of talks on the new agriculture laws with farmer unions to January 20, PTI reported. The meeting was earlier scheduled to take place at 12 pm on

Tuesday at Delhi's Vigyan Bhawan.

The previous nine rounds of talks between the government and farmers have failed to yield any concrete results, as the farmer unions have stuck to their main demand for repealing the new laws, while the government has refused to do so and insisted on a clause-wise discussion of the legislations.

Enacted in September 2020, the central government has presented these laws as major farm reforms aimed at increasing farmers' income, but the protesting farmers have raised concerns that these legislations would weaken the minimum support price (MSP) and "mandi" (wholesale market) systems and leave them at the mercy of big corporations. The government has maintained that these apprehensions are misplaced and ruled out a repeal of the laws.