Farmers Movement Archive

Narendra Modi will meet Donald Trump’s fate, says Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot

JAIPUR: Former deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot made a scathing attack on RSS and BJP during the Congress dharna in support of farmers opposing the Centre’s three controversial farm laws here on Sunday. Pilot said true nationalism was not to lecture from Nagpur wearing half-pants, but to stand with the farmers. Pilot’s remarks were aimed at the smear campaign against farmers who were called ‘anti-national’, ‘Khalistani’ and ‘Naxal’ for opposing the Union farm laws. “Such words are being used because not a single Union minister is a well-wisher of the farmers. Today, the farmers are scared. If standing with farmers is politics, we will continue to stand with them,” Pilot said, addressing a day-long dharna at the Shaheed Smarak on MI Road. The Congress leader slammed the BJP-led central government for forcing the farm laws on agriculturists. “There are some turning points in every country’s history that become decisive. Unfortunately, the step taken by the Centre in bringing the three laws will have far reaching consequences. The arrogant and autocratic way in which the government passed the laws without consulting any state government, it cannot tell who demanded these,” Pilot said. “Centre’s attitude after winning the second election (2019) shows that the PM can take any decision to get his name recorded in history,” he added. Chief minister Ashok Gehlot, ministers and legislators from Congress as well as independents were present at the dharna. It was for the first time that Gehlot and Pilot came together for a party event since the latter rebelled with his loyalists against the CM last July-August. Even as they sat side-by-side at the dharna, the two leaders’ body language suggested they were yet to overcome the past bitterness. Both were repeatedly cheered by their supporters during their addresses. Gehlot in his address said the BJP-led central government was under the false impression that just Punjab and Haryana farmers were protesting the farm laws. “People across 6.5 lakh villages in the country are in farmers’ support; PM Narendra Modi and home minister Amit Shah’s misreading will be cleared when the time comes,” Gehlot said, adding that if the farmers started marching from every state, the Centre would be in trouble. Referring to the US elections, Gehlot said PM Modi would meet the same fate as Donald Trump. “Modi ji gave a slogan for the Trump government, but the people there rejected it. He has now messed up with the farmers; his condition will be the same as Trump.” The CM said the Centre was trying to kill time by repeatedly calling farmers for talks, but not agreeing to their demands. “It thinks the farmers will get tired and the issue will be over,” Gehlot said, adding that the government was “naakara, nikammi and samvedanheen” (worthless and insensitive). “Forty farmers have died in past 39 days, protesting in the open in chilling cold,” Gehlot said. Gehlot stressed that a Muslim from India, barring Kashmir, was never caught for terrorist activities in J&K, but the BJP was trying to alienate the community. “They (BJP and allies) want to push the country towards a Hindu nation, but will never succeed.”

The Times of India

2021-01-04

Jaipur