New Delhi, September 8: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday slammed Congress general secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala for allegedly comparing protesting farmers with the Taliban which has seized control of Afghanistan and demanded an apology from Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi over the remark.

Speaking to ANI, BJP spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia hit back at Surjewala for saying BJP-led governments at the Centre and in Haryana were deliberately conspiring to provoke and divide the farmers and demanded that three new farm laws should be immediately repealed.

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"Randeep Surjewala has no right to tell Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar about what steps to take in the interest of Haryana and in the interest of farmers. It's sad that today Congress has compared farmers with the Taliban. Farmers are the pride of this country. The BJP governments in the Centre and in various states have taken concrete steps for farmers' bright future, and here the Congress party and its leaders are calling the farmers Talibani,' said Bhatiya.

Bhatia's remark came after Surjewala at a press conference said, "When the Centre can talk with Taliban in Doha why cannot they hold discussions with farmers of the country. The farmers have been protesting peacefully at the Delhi borders for 10 months. The BJP-led government wants to sell the agricultural resources of the country. The farmers are fighting not just for themselves but for the country."

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Demanding an apology for the remark, the BJP leader said, "Sonia Gandhi ji should apologise to all farmers and Indian citizens for this statement."

He further attacked Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and asked, "When more than 50 farmers were lathi-charged in Punjab's Moga, where was

'Dhritarashtra' Rahul Gandhi? It shows that Congress' existence is no longer in danger as the party is finished today."

"Congress remains the cheerleader of Indian politics. Keeping a gun on the shoulders of the farmers, Congress is cooking its political bread," added the BJP leader. (ANI)

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