The Congress has decided to observe January 15 as “Kisan Adhikar Diwas (Farmer Rights Day)” with protests throughout the country to express solidarity with the peasants who are fighting a “do-or-die battle” against the Narendra Modi government.

A meeting of Congress office-bearers on Saturday to discuss the farmers’ movement felt the government had lost its moral right to continue in office and decided to hold demonstrations in every state capital on January 15, culminating in gheraos of Raj Bhavans across the country. Although some office-bearers are in favour of a sustained political struggle to support the farmers, the course of action will be decided later.

Congress communications chief Randeep Surjewala said after the meeting: “January 15 will be observed as Kisan Adhikar Diwas. There will be protest meetings and demonstrations at every state capital, followed by a march to Raj Bhavans with two demands: Repeal of the three farm laws and rollback of excise duty imposed on petroleum products.”

The Youth Congress also announced a protest as part of which soil will be brought from every state as well as the villages of farmers who have lost their lives during the movement for making a giant map of India in Delhi.

A suitable venue is being identified for the purpose. In the map, the space for every state will be filled with the soil of that state. The Youth Congress also plans to take the soil from the villages of the deceased farmers to the Prime Minister’s Office to remind him that he had failed to express sorrow over their deaths.

Youth Congress president B.V. Srinivas said: “The programme, called Ek Mutthi Mitti Shaheedon Ke Naam, is intended to pay homage to the farmers who died during the movement. Youth Congress workers will go to every state of the country — from Kashmir to Kanyakumari — and the villages of the martyrs to bring handfuls of soil to Delhi. Modi has time to condole the death of Nawaz Sharif’s mother and tweet on the finger injury of cricketer Shikhar Dhawan, but he hasn’t uttered a word on the death of 60 farmers. We thought we can pay tribute to them in this manner.”

Iterating its resolve to stand with the farmers till the crisis is resolved, the Congress asked every citizen of the country to support the cause. It took strong objection to the interlocutor ministers telling the farmers during talks on Friday to approach the Supreme Court as the government was not ready to repeal the laws.

Surjewala said: “The Supreme Court didn’t frame the laws. The Modi government imposed the laws on the farmers, violating all democratic norms and hijacking parliamentary processes.”

He added: “Has any central government ever behaved in this manner, thrusting laws down the throats of citizens without any discussion and then daring them to move court? Making policies and laws is the job of the elected government, not the courts. If the Modi government cannot discharge its duties properly and take responsibility for its actions, it has no moral right to continue in office. The government should vacate office.”

Accusing Modi of behaving like an emperor who is immune to democratic pressures, Surjewala said: “Farmers are fighting a do-or-die battle to get these laws repealed. This is a battle between farmers’ livelihood and the government’s opportunism. This is a battle between farmers’ self-esteem and the government’s selfishness. This is a battle between farmers’ helplessness and the government’s cruelty. This is a battle between farmers’ rights and a government that is intoxicated with power. This is a battle between a candle and a storm. The farmers have created a flicker of hope against the storm that the government, sold to corporate interest, is.”