India / Rahul Gandhi urges people to raise voice against farm bills

New Delhi: The Congress on Saturday launched a ''Speak up for farmers'' campaign on social media protesting the farm bills, with Rahul Gandhi urging people to raise their voice against what he described was the Narendra Modi government''s "exploitation" of farmers.

The three bills were passed by both houses of Parliament during the Monsoon session and are awaiting presidential assent.

"Let us raise our voices together against the atrocities and exploitation of farmers by the Modi government," Gandhi said in a tweet in Hindi.

"Join the Speak Up For Farmers campaign through your video," he said, tagging a video in which the party called for the withdrawal of the bills.

The Congress, on its official Twitter handle, alleged that the agriculture bills passed by the government in a "highly undemocratic manner are nothing but an attack on our farmers and an attempt to transform agriculture into another revenue stream for their crony capitalist friends".

Along with many other opposition parties, it has claimed that the bills will harm the interest of farmers and benefit the corporates, a claim denied by the government.

The Centre has asserted the bills will be beneficial for farmers and increase their income.