Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday exhorted agitating farmers not to relent at this critical juncture, warning that they would not be able to stand up ever again if they struck a compromise on the farm laws.

Minutes after the farmers’ unions rejected the proposals sent by the Narendra Modi government, the Congress leader said: “The government should not nurture misconceptions. Farmers won’t compromise. They have realised there won’t be any future for them if they compromise now. I want to tell the farmers — if you don’t stand up now, you won’t be able to do that ever again. Don’t be afraid. We all are with you. Nobody can harm you. You are Hindustan.”

Rahul was talking to the media outside Rashtrapati Bhavan after he and other Opposition leaders submitted a memorandum to President Ram Nath Kovind.

“The farmers have understood that the purpose of these laws is to hand over the agriculture system to friends of the Prime Minister. They will not step back. The government should not expect them to cave in. Kisan darega nahi, kisan hatega nahi (The farmers won’t be afraid, the farmers won’t relent),” the Congress parliamentarian said.

Other Opposition leaders, although they were not as blunt as Rahul, also said the Prime Minister had conspired to hand over agriculture trade to corporate houses.

Rahul said on Wednesday: “The manner in which these bills were passed is an insult to the farmers. The farmers have now lost faith in the government. They don’t believe this government is acting in their interest.”

The former Congress president, not known to sugarcoat his words, had tweeted earlier: “Under Mr Modi Reform = Theft. That’s why they need to get rid of democracy.” In another tweet in Hindi, Rahul asked Modi to “stop the loot”.

NCP chief and former agriculture minister Sharad Pawar, who was part of the delegation that met the President along with the CPM’s Sitaram Yechury, the CPI’s D, Raja and the DMK’s T.K.S. Elangovan, said the farming community had to erupt in protest as the laws had been enacted without consultation.

Pawar explained: “The bills should have been sent to a select committee of Parliament for wider consultation. Farmers have realised these laws do not serve their interest. There is no mention of MSP (minimum support price) anywhere in the laws.”

Yechury, who said more than 20 parties were in support of their stand and only five leaders went to meet the President because of Covid protocol, said: “We asked for repeal of these laws passed in an undemocratic manner. Proper consultation would have prevented this situation.”

Raja said: “Whatever discussions are happening now should have happened in Parliament, before the passage of the bills.”

Elangovan alleged that farmers were being left to fend for themselves and these laws were a negation of the promise to implement the Swaminathan Commission recommendations.

The President, who had refused to meet Congress chief ministers over the farm bills, heard out the Opposition delegation without expressing his views.

The memorandum submitted to him said: “More than twenty political parties extended their solidarity with the ongoing historic struggle of the Indian peasantry and extended whole-hearted support to their call for Bharat Bandh yesterday, demanding the repeal of retrograde agriculture laws and the electricity amendment bill.”

It added: “These laws passed in an anti-democratic manner preventing a structured discussion and voting, threaten India’s food security, destroy Indian agriculture and our farmers, lay the basis for the abolishment of the MSP and mortgage Indian agriculture and our markets to the caprices of multinational agri-business corporates and domestic corporates. We urge upon you as the custodian of the Indian Constitution to persuade your Government not to be obdurate and accept the demands raised by the anndata (giver of food).”