Hitting out at the Modi government, Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday asked the Centre to shed its ego and accept farmers' demand for the repeal of the farm laws, adding prolonged farmers' protests have shattered India's image as a soft power.
Addressing a press conference, Rahul also slammed the government for not increasing the defence expenditure in the Union Budget at a time when soldiers were braving the deadly cold in Ladakh.
When asked about popular singer Rihanna's support for the farmers' agitation, Gandhi said it was India's internal matter and the government has to step in to repeal the farm laws.
“I have no interest in this. I have no opinion on this. This is our internal matter, an issue that concerns our farmers,” Rahul said.
The former Congress President accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of not providing leadership to the nation in the time of a crisis. “This country is lacking leadership. There is just talk, there is no strategy. My sincere request to the Prime Minister is to do your job. Your job is to protect the farmers and not sell the country to 1 per cent of the population,” he said.
Rahul said the images of barricades at Delhi's borders and the treatment meted out to farmers have shattered India's image globally. “Our biggest strength, you can call it soft power, has been shattered by the BJP-RSS, their mindset,” he said.
The Congress leader criticised the Centre over disturbing images of farmer protest sites along the Delhi border being turned into “fortresses”.
“As far as I know, the farmers will not back down. They will continue with their protests. In the end, it is the government that will have to back down, and better they do that today. This situation is not good at all for the country,” the Congress leader said.