Prakash Javadekar said the opposition party does not want the talks to succeed. (File)
The BJP on Tuesday accused the Congress of working to scuttle the ongoing talks between the government and farmer unions, hitting back at the opposition party's leader Rahul Gandhi over his attack on the PM Modi dispensation over farm laws and national security.
Senior BJP leader and Union minister Prakash Javadekar said the opposition party does not want the talks to succeed and has resorted to obstructive tactics.
The next round of talks between the government and farmer unions is scheduled for Wednesday.
He expressed confidence that the talks will be successful and claimed that the three laws, whose repeal has been demanded by protesting farmers, were based on demands made by the farming community over the years.
Addressing a press conference after Mr Gandhi released a booklet "Kheti ka khoon" and attacked the government, Mr Javadekar accused him of running away from the questions BJP president JP Nadda asked of him on Twitter and alleged that the Congress leader displayed his "familiar indecency" while referring to his party chief.
He said, "The Congress does not want the talks to succeed. It does not want the issues of farmers resolved. That is why it has adopted the tactic of obstruction."
To Mr Gandhi's charge that three-four people enjoy a monopoly in the economy, Mr Javadekar said it was during the Congress rule that one family ran the country, while people of the nation are in power under PM Modi government.
Mr Gandhi is unhappy because his family rule has ended, he said.
Referring to the Congress booklet, the BJP leader took a swipe at the party, saying it has "special love" for ''khoon'' (blood) and referred to killings during the partition, anti-Sikh riots and Bhagalpur riots.
He said farmers have suffered due to "destructive" policies of the Congress and added that the current government has empowered them with the transfer of Rs 1.19 lakh crore into their accounts with the total amount likely to be over Rs 7 lakh crore in 10 years.
Taking a swipe at Mr Gandhi over his claim that food prices will rise due to the government's policies, he said over 80 crore people get rice and wheat at subsidised rates of Rs 3 and Rs 2 respectively.
On Mr Gandhi's attack on the government over China's alleged incursion into India, Mr Javadekar hit back, "Why does he not answer on China? Who gave away land to China? Under whose rule did Aksai Chin go out of India's hands? Who took money from China for a private trust? Who gave away India's UNSC permanent seat to China?"
The Centre's new farm laws are designed to "destroy" the agriculture sector, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi alleged on Tuesday and asserted that the only solution to the farmers' issue is to repeal the legislations.
At a press conference, Mr Gandhi also released a booklet highlighting the "plight" of farmers in the wake of the Centre's three farm laws.