Farmers Movement Archive

Ahead of ‘Kisan Mahapanchayat’, AAP leader slams farm laws

Ghaziabad: Terming the Centre’s new farm laws a ‘death warrant’ for farmers, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Sanjay Singh on Monday said that the party will try to put pressure on the government for rollback of the three legislations during the proposed ‘Kisan Mahapanchayat’ in Meerut on February 28 which is to be addressed by Delhi chief minister and AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal.Singh, who was in Ghaziabad to review the preparations ahead of the Mahapanchayat, also slammed the state budget rolled out by the Uttar Pradesh government.“They (the Centre) have made three new farm laws which are like a ‘death warrant’ for farmers. Like they put up barbed wires at the borders, farmers and people will also put the same during the upcoming panchayat elections in UP. The way farmers’ agitation is growing, the Bharatiya Janata Party must contest panchayat election on its symbol and people will teach them a lesson,” Singh said.The UP government on Monday in its first paperless budget for 2021-22 proposed no new taxes despite high deficit and promised to please-all by “empowering different sections” by “self-reliance, integrated and inclusive development” ahead of 2022 assembly elections in the state.“There is no farsightedness seen on part of the UP government in the budget related to education, healthcare and employment. The UP chief minister is not concerned with law and order, employment, education, healthcare, mid-day meal, and is roaming in Kerala, West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh. He should look at his state first,” Singh told reporters.He termed the budget “rhetoric”. “The budget is rhetoric. They have done nothing for four years. The Prime Minister says that income of farmers will be doubled. The prices of diesel have increased. How will the income be doubled?” he added.The BJP’s UP unit, however, rubbished claims made by Singh and said that the farmers stand with the Prime Minister and the budget of the UP government is aimed to promote all round development.“The budget will be a milestone considering the effects of pandemic situation. It proposed employment, roads, water and other facilities to people and even projected the state towards the $1 trillion economy. AAP has no base in UP. They are just trying to create instability in UP before the elections, but people show them mirror each time. So, their allegations should not be taken seriously,” said Chandra Mohan, spokesperson and secretary of BJP’s UP unit.The Kejriwal-led party is trying to make inroads into UP. However, performance of its candidates has not been very encouraging during past elections. In 2014 general elections, former AAP member Shazia Ilmi (now with the BJP) had lost deposit in Ghaziabad. In 2019 polls, AAP did not field any candidate from Ghaziabad but offered unconditional support to Samajwadi Party candidate. In 2017 local body polls, AAP candidate Dr Pragati Tyagi also lost deposit. In December last year, Kejriwal had said that the party shall contest the 2022 assembly elections in UP.(With budget inputs from HTC, Lucknow)

Hindustan Times

22-02-2021

Noida