Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday attacked the Centre over its claim of doubling farmers' income and alleged that their income has in fact "halved" under the 'suit-boot sarkar', while that of its crony friends has grown four times.
He slammed the Union government over farmers protest against the new agriculture laws and termed the Centre a government of 'lie and loot'.
His remarks come at a time when farmers from Punjab and Haryana are protesting at the Singhu, Tikri and Ghazipur borders of the national capital against the Centre's new agriculture reform laws.
"They said farmers income will be doubled. What they did was increase incomes of 'friends' four times and those of farmers will be halved. This suit-boot government is of lies and loot," Gandhi said in a tweet in Hindi.
The Congress leader also shared a video of the atrocities and use of force against the protesting farmers with a voice-over of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's speech saying his government was taking steps to resolve the problems faced by farmers and double their income.
The farmers' protest against the three agricultural sector laws passed by the Central government in the last monsoon session entered the seventh day on Wednesday with demonstrations on Sant Nirankari Samagam ground in Burari on the outskirts of Delhi, besides the border areas.
The Congress has been attacking the government over the use of force against the protesting farmers, and has urged the dispensation to withdraw the new farm laws and redresses the grievances of the protestors.
Yesterday night, the Union government held a meeting with the representatives of the protesting farmers and offered to set up a committee to look into their demands, which they rejected.
After the meeting, Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar, however, said that the discussion was "good" and the fourth round of talks will be held on December 3.
"We wanted a small group to be constituted but farmers' leaders wanted that the talks should be held with everyone; we do not have a problem with it," the minister said.
The government also gave a detailed presentation to the farmers' leaders on the Minimum Support Price and the Agricultural Produce Market Committee Act during the meeting, appealing to them to suspend their protest.
Thousands of farmers reached Delhi on November 27 and assembled at the border areas to continue their protest against the three farms laws.
The farmers are protesting against The Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020, and The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020.
(With inputs from agencies)
