Farmers Movement Archive

Republic Day violence planned by BJP: Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal

MEERUT: Addressing his first kisan mahapanchayat in Uttar Pradesh, Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal made scathing attacks on the Centre and blamed it for orchestrating violence on Republic Day at the Red Fort during the farmers' tractor rally. “The entire Red Fort incident was planned by them (BJP). Several people told me that they (protesters) were deliberately shown the wrong path as they did not know their way in Delhi. Those who hoisted flags were their (BJP) workers. Our farmers can be anything but anti-nationals,” he said in Meerut on Sunday. The Delhi CM said farmers were continuously agitating in the cold because their farms would be taken over by capitalists. “Today, farmers are being tortured all over the country,” Kejriwal claimed. Water cannons are being used against them and iron nails are studded on roads to restrict their movement, he said. Stressing that farmers are not enemies of the country, he accused the Union government of surpassing the British in oppressing people. The AAP national convener alleged that the BJP cheated the farmers after coming to power. He claimed that in its 2014 election manifesto, the BJP had said that it would implement the Swaminathan Commission report and MSP (minimum support price) at 50 per cent more than actual cost of production would be given to farmers. But upon forming the government, the party gave an affidavit to the Supreme Court saying it was not possible to increase MSP as it would distort the market, he claimed. Targeting the Uttar Pradesh government, Kejriwal said sugar mills in the state owe Rs 18,000 crore to the farmers and the Yogi Adityanath government has not been able to get the dues cleared. “Yogi ji, I just want to ask what is the reason your government has kneeled in front of sugarcane mill owners. What is the purpose of your government if you can't ensure payment to cane farmers? If AAP can fix mighty discoms in Delhi and give free electricity to people in the national capital, why cannot the UP’s BJP government take on the sugar mills?” Kejriwal said, “I want Yogi ji to name any one mandi in UP where paddy or any crop produce is bought at the MSP. They keep on lying day in day out that MSP is there and will stay.” Attacking the Centre over the farm laws, Kejriwal termed these legislations “death warrant” for farmers. “The Centre’s three farm laws are the death warrant for farmers. The government wants to take away their lands and give them to 3-4 capitalists. Farmers will become labourers in their own fields, that is why it is a do or die situation for farmers,” he said.

The Times of India

2021-03-01

Meerut