Proud to be ‘andolan jeevi’, Chidambaram takes jibe at PM Modi

Taking a jibe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his remarks in Rajya Sabha that the country should be cautious of a new community of people, whom he called “andolanjeevi”, senior Congress leader P Chidambaram on Feb 10 said he is a proud “andolan jeevi”.

Replying to the Presidential address in Rajya Sabha, PM Modi had hit out at those behind the protests saying the country should beware of them. "There is a new crop of 'andolanjeevi'. They live for protests. PM Modi had used it in the context of the ongoing farmers' protest against his government's three contentious farm laws.

Reacting to PM Modi’s remarks, former Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram took to his Twitter handle to call himself a proud 'andolan jeevi'. He tweeted: “"I am a proud andolan jeevi. The quintessential andolan jeevi was Mahatma Gandhi."

Earlier, targeting the farmers who are protesting against the 3 new farm laws PM Modi said, "We are well aware of some terms like 'Shram Jeevi' and 'Buddhi Jeevi'. But, I am seeing that from some time a new entity has come up in this country- 'Andolan Jeevi'. This community can be spotted wherever there is a protest be it agitation by lawyers, students, or labourers. They cannot live without protests. We have to identify such people and protect the nation from them.

It is important to note here that farmers have been protesting at the borders of the national capital since November 26 last year against the three newly enacted farm laws: Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020; the Farmers Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and farm Services Act 2020 and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020.