Farmers Movement Archive

Himachal BJP slams Congress over anti-farm bill stance

Hitting out at the Congress against its anti-agricultural bill chorus, BJP state president and Shimla MP Suresh Kashyap on Friday said the former was trying to mislead the farmers and public for gaining political leverage.Addressing a press conference at the BJP’s state headquarters here, Kashyap said the Congress is only protesting for middlemen and is lying that MSP will be eliminated, APMC mandis will be removed and farmers will become weak due to negotiation issues with the corporates and will not be able to decide the price. The two agricultural laws passed by the central government will double the income of farmers by 2022 and both these laws will prove to be very important for them, he said. Congress had itself mentioned these laws in its election manifesto and now is retreating from the same promises, the BJP state chief said.Kashyap said with these laws, farmers dream of one nation one market is being fulfilled. The bill will provide opportunities and arrangements for farmers to sell their produce uninterrupted in most of the notified mandis, within and outside the state.It is clear that the MSP and mandi system has not been abolished. Now, the farmer can earn more profit by selling his crop wherever he wants, the way Congress is talking about Ambani and Adani is concocted, with this law, farmers will have access to state-of-the-art agricultural technology, equipment and improved compost seeds,” he added.This bill guarantees payment to the farmer in three days, while such a law could never find its way during the Congress rule or was implemented, he said.“Congress is only lying about agricultural laws for its political interests. It is a lie that the MSP and mandi system will be ended. Congress is saying that farmers will become weak in contractual agriculture agreement and fixing prices. Today, the farmer knows which law is in his hands and what kind of politics the Congress is doing,” Kashyap held.He said Congress is also making baseless statements and allegations against the state and central governments over Covid-19 management when everyone knows an exceptional job is being done in dealing with the pandemic.Kashyap also described October 3 as historic, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Atal Tunnel. He said the total length of this channel is 9.02km and is made of state-of-the-art equipment, has CCTV cameras, fire hydrant, telephone facility at every 200 metres and an emergency exit after every 500 metres. He said earlier people of the tribal areas had to be taken to the hospital by helicopter in case of serious illness, but that too depended on the weather, but the tunnel will solve this problem.He said Congress is also politicising the Atal Tunnel whereas the maximum credit for its construction goes to the BJP.

Hindustan Times

09-10-2020

City