Farmers Movement Archive

'Nails on BJP’s political coffin..': RLD leader on farmers' protest

Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) vice president Jayant Chaudhary said on Friday that the government’s policies will not work against farmers. Referring to the nails planted at the farmers’ protest site in Ghazipur, Chaudhury said the same nails will end up marking the ‘political coffin’ of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)."These are not nails being put on the roads going to Delhi, these are nails being put into the political coffin that is being made for the BJP," Chaudhury said, as quoted by news agency PTI.Chaudhury accused the government of not paying heed to their own politicians on the ground, who are in touch with the common people and can sense their rising anger."It is a totalitarian administration. They are not even listening to their own political people on the ground. If you speak to BJP MLAs or MPs off the record, they are not happy and they can feel the angst rising in the people of India, in the common man who voted for (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi," the former MP said.Chaudhury who is quite active on Twitter criticised Indian celebrities for releasing statements of solidarity following the international outrage on the government’s handling of the protests.“Celebrities who have pawned off their brains and now are tweeting similar statements should first look up the meaning of sovereignty. A nation’s power is diminished when the government is cruel towards its providers. Friends, let’s exercise control over our governments instead of letting governments control us.” Chaudhury tweeted on Friday.The Ghazipur border which is one of the three protest sites has witnessed heavy fortification and nails have been affixed to keep farmers from entering the protest site. On Thursday the nails were relocated to ensure farmers’ safety. DCP (east) Deepak Yadav told HT that, “The nails were fixed initially at a spot where people wouldn’t venture earlier. But now that some people are moving around that point, we fear that the nails could become a hazard for them. So, just to ensure their safety, we are removing them and fixing them elsewhere.”Chaudhury has been attending Kisan mahapanchayats and protest sites and had extended support to Bharatiya Kisan Union when the union was thinking of withdrawing protest from the Ghazipur site after being pressured by the local administration.

Hindustan Times

05-02-2021

India