Farmers Movement Archive

Call on NDA, RLP break-up on Dec 26, says Hanuman Beniwal

After quitting all Lok Sabha panels in support of protesting farmers, Rashtriya Loktantrik Party (RLP) chief Hanuman Beniwal, whose party is a part of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) will decide on December 26 whether to remain in the ruling coalition. At the same time, he will lead a march towards Delhi in protest against the three farm laws that were enacted by the NDA in September to open up agricultural trade. “I have never supported the farm bills…show me if there is any video. When the bills were introduced and passed in Parliament, I wasn’t there. I was not allowed because of a false Covid-19 report,” Beniwal, a poplar Jat leader, said on Sunday.On his resignation from three parliamentary committees, the MP from Nagaur said: “I have resigned in support of the farmers’ protest. I was part of the committee related to industries, had raised many issues -- from unemployment to industries sitting on land banks -- but no action was taken. “ He said he and Bharaqtiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Kailash Choudhary were attacked in Barmer over a year ago, but not even a first information report ( FIR) was lodged over the incident.“But when {the motorcade of } BJP national chief JP Nadda was attacked in West Bengal {on December 10}, Indian Police Service officers were immediately changed. People’s issues were not addressed in the committees. We were not going there to have tea-biscuit.’ The laws allow businesses to freely trade farm produce outside the so-called “mandi system”, permit private traders to stockpile large quantities of essential commodities for future sales, which earlier only government-approved agents could, and lay down new rules for contract farming. Farmers, however, are protesting against the reforms, saying they would make them vulnerable to exploitation by big corporations, erode their bargaining power and weaken the government’s procurement system, under which the government buys staples, such as wheat and rice, at guaranteed prices.On reconsidering ties with the NDA, Beniwal said: “I have resigned from three committees and will march to Delhi with over 100,000 farmers on December 26. At a meeting, which will be held on NH-8 in Shahjahanpur, the decision on the alliance with NDA will be taken. We have no issues with the Prime Minister, but with the three farm laws. Inflation is on the rise and people are suffering.” Hitting out at the Ashok Gehlot led government of Rajasthan, he said the bureaucracy was dominating decision-making in the state and the chief minister was busy in keeping Congress MLAs happy. After the farmers’ movement, RLP will organise a gherao of the state government to press its demands for free electricity and employment generation, he said. On his allegations of collusion between Gehlot and former CM and BJP leader Vasundhara Raje, he said: “It has been 22 years...No action has been taken by any of the governments on scams raised by Gehlot or Raje, but a challan has been issued in the cases against me. Gehlot didn’t take Raje’s bungalow and she supported him during the political crisis in July . Around a dozen officials have been running the government.” On Beniwal reconsidering ties with the NDA, BJP MLA and spokesperson Ram Lal Sharma said: “He can do whatever he likes.”He said Beniwal’s allegations of collusion between Gehlot and Raje were baseless: “He does politics looking to the situation and his thoughts have no stability. Earlier, he called the farm laws in public interest and now for political mileage is opposing them,” Sharma said. Congress spokesperson Archana Sharma also said Beniwal’s allegations of Gehlot and Raje colluding were baseless.

Hindustan Times

21-12-2020

India