Farmers Movement Archive

BJP ally RLP backs farmers’ protest, pulls out of NDA

ALWAR/JAIPUR: The Rashtriya Loktantrik Party (RLP) on Saturday withdrew its support to the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in support of the farmers’ agitation against the Centre’s farm laws. This was announced by Nagaur MP and convenor of the party Hanuman Beniwal while addressing protesters at the Shahjahanpur border in Alwar in Rajasthan. “Bye, bye NDA (NDA ko bye bye),” said Beniwal making the announcement. “We had informed the prime minister and Union home minister earlier that these are black, anti-farmer laws and they should repeal the laws. Nobody is above farmers in the country. We shall not stand with anyone who is against them,” said Beniwal, whose march towards Delhi in support of the farmers’ agitation, along with thousands of farmers, was stopped at the Shajahanpur border on Saturday. Beniwal said his party would not form an alliance with the BJP in Rajasthan. “I had opposed the laws earlier and will continue to do so. The course of action will be decided after farmer unions’ meeting with the Centre on December 29,” he added. RLP is the second BJP ally to withdraw its support to the NDA on the farmer issue after Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD). Earlier, Shiv Sena and Telugu Desam Party (TDP) had also withdrawn their support to the NDA. Beniwal had earlier resigned from three parliamentary committees in support of the farmers’ agitation. He was a member of parliamentary committees on industries, petroleum and natural gas and petitions. Beniwal had submitted his resignation to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla. Commenting on this, state BJP president Satish Poonia said, “He has his own working style and is not bound by the BJP’s discipline. He is independent and must have taken the decision after finding it right.” On Friday, the Haryana police had sealed the highway at Shahjahanpur border for vehicles plying from both directions (Delhi-Jaipur), resulting in a huge traffic snarl on the national highway (NH-8).

The Times of India

2020-12-27

Jaipur