Priyanka Gandhi Vadra joins UP mahapanchayat amid Section 144

Congress party is holding a 10-day "Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan" campaign that is supposed to take place in 27 districts of Uttar Pradesh.

Priyanka Gandhi Vadra attended the kisan mahapanchayat on Wednesday in Saharanpur district of Uttar Pradesh. Congress party is holding a 10-day "Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan" campaign that is supposed to take place in 27 districts of the state. The party has been supporting the farmers' agitation against the three farm laws since the protests started in November. Uttar Pradesh (state) polls are likely to be held next year. Ms Gandhi Vadra had tweeted in the morning that she would be in Saharanpur to listen, understand and share her feelings regarding the protest.

Section 144 was imposed in the state soon after and District Magistrate Akhilesh Singh said this was "standard practice" to maintain the law and order. Due to COVID-19 pandemic, a prohibitory order till April 5 was issued in the district earlier. Ms Gandhi Vadra said that the government does not understand what farmers stand for. "They (the government) call the farmers anti-national, but in reality, it is them who are anti-national," she said. "They call farmers agitators, extremists, and terrorists. They doubt the farmers, but the heart of the farmer can never be against the nation. The farmer's heart, his work itself is for the land. Farmers till the land, work day and night on the land. How can they betray the nation?" she added.

The Congress general secretary said, "The Prime Minister had time to go to Pakistan, he had time to go to China, but he did not have time to visit the bordering areas of his own constituency and meet farmers." She added, "The Prime Minister himself insults farmers, that too in Parliament, by calling them 'andolanjeevi' (one who lives for agitation)," pointing out at the term that was used by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the Presidential address. "There is a new crop of 'andolanjeevi'. They live for protests. They look for ways to start a new movement...The country needs to be aware of these 'andolanjeevi'," Mr Modi had said.

Ms Gandhi Vadra will probably meet farmers in Bijnor and Muzaffarnagar on February 13. BJP has been accusing Congress of inciting farmers against the government and the laws passed by it.