Ahead of the Congress agitation against the Centre startingNovember 5, party's Interim President Sonia Gandhi has called a meeting ofparty general secretaries and state in-charges on November 2.

All the heads of the front organisations have also beensummoned. The meeting is to take stock of the preparation for the nationwideagitation, which the party has planned for November 5-15.The party has decidedto raise the issues of economic slowdown, unemployment, farmers' distress, PSUdisinvestment and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP).

The 10-day agitation, from the block level to state level,will also include a big rally in New Delhi. The Congress is trying to rope inlike-minded parties for the protest, said K.C. Venugopal, Congress GeneralSecretary.Sonia Gandhi attacked the government on the eve of Diwali, remindingthe Narendra Modi government of its 'Raj Dharma' towards the farmers, sayingthey were suffering due to government's policies.

In a detailed statement, Sonia Gandhi had said the BharatiyaJanata Party (BJP) after coming to power had started cheating farmers."Theypromised farmers 50 per cent more returns on the amount spent on crops byincreasing the minimum support price (MSP). But year after year, the BJPgovernment worked in the interest of a few middlemen and hoarders by lootingcrores of rupees of the farmers," she said.

Citing examples of the condition of agriculture markets, shesaid several of them were buying kharif crops across the country lower than theMSP.

She criticised the BJP government over the GST levied ontractors, fertilisers and other agricultural equipment, saying it had increasedfarmers' burden. Even the price of diesel was rising constantly, she added.

She demanded that the government stop harassing the farmersand ensure the right price for the farm produce.