Bharat Bandh: Rahul Gandhi backs workers & farmers; takes ‘grip’ jibe at PM Modi | India News

New Delhi: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi Thursday supported nationwide protests by workers and farmers demanding protection of their rights. He expressed concern over labor reforms, trade policy and possible changes to the rural employment program MGNREGA.“Workers fear that the four labor codes will undermine their rights. Farmers fear that trade agreements will harm their livelihoods. And weakening or canceling MGNREGA could rob villages of their last lifeline. When decisions affecting their future were made, their voices were ignored,” he said in a post on X.“Will Modiji listen now? Or is the “grape” on him too strong? I stand firmly with the issues of workers and farmers and their struggles,” Rahul added.An all-India general strike called by ten Central Trade Unions (CTU) and supported by the Samilit Kisan Morcha (SKM) on Thursday aims to oppose various government policies, including the four labor codes, privatization and contractualization regime, Electricity Amendment Bill 2025, MGNREGA and proposed changes in the bill.A large participation of farmers, agricultural workers and industrial unions is expected at protest sites across the country, while power sector employees, PRTC workers and other labor organizations will also join.In a statement, SKM said the strike seeks withdrawal of four labor codes, Electricity Bill 2025, Seed Bill 2025 and VB-G Ram G Act 2025, among other demands. It called for restoration of the old pension scheme and implementation of minimum wages for all workers, including project workers.Communist Party of India (CPI) leader and All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC) working president Vinay Viswam has expressed full support for the nationwide farmers’ strike, describing it as a movement to protect people’s fundamental rights.Apple growers in Himachal Pradesh also stepped up preparations to join a nationwide farmers’ strike on February 12 and announced a march in Delhi, warning that recent import duty cuts under India-US and other free trade agreements could hurt the state’s apple-based economy.They expressed concern that cheap imports could affect local growers, despite Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal’s repeated assurances that the interests of Indian apple growers would be protected.While several trade unions and farmers’ organizations decided to join the strike, the National Front of Indian Trade Unions (NFITU) said it would not participate, describing the protest as “politically motivated”.