Priyanka Gandhi Vadra To Attend Farmers' Panchayat In Saharanpur, Section 144 Imposed In The District

Senior Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra is building a campaign under the 'Jai Jawan Jai Kisan Abhiyan' slogan in Uttar Pradesh, reports say.

Continuing the opposition to the new agriculture reform laws from the Centre, Vadra will be participating in the Kisan rally under the slogan.
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The slogan Jai Jawan Jai Kisan is synonymous with former prime minister Lal Bahadur Shastri. Saharanpur, where the campaign will be centered for today (Wednesday), will see Vadra kick start the campaign in support of the farmers' agitation.

Section 144 was imposed in Saharanpur ahead of kisan mahapanchayat.

District Magistrate Akhilesh Singh is reported to have clarified that "this is a standard practice, which was taken in view to maintain the law and order."

He is quoted as saying: "Imposition of Section 144 is a standard practice which is used to maintain law and order. This practice has been going on from quite some time (sic)."

Priyanka visited the Shakambhari Devi Temple in Saharanpur before addressing the Kisan Mahapanchayat in the district.

The Abhiyan or campaign is a 10-day programme which will be held in districts across UP. Vadra's focus seems to be on the state. The BJP has said that the opposition has lost its ground on the farmers' issue and in politics and this could be one of the aspects they are looking at.

Agriculture minister NS Tomar has said that the Congress is misleading the farmers and spreading lies about the farm bills.

Netizens in support of her visit took to Twitter to welcome the move. One user said in a post that it was the "first Panchayat organised in Muslim dominated area..."

Vadra, reportedly, is expected to strike a dialogue with farmers in Bijnor and Muzaffarnagar, other two prominent districts in west Uttar Pradesh, on February 13.

The move comes after Congress gave support to the call for 'chakka jam' in support of the farmers' agitation.