Farmers Movement Archive

Kisan Morcha meet: BJP to chalk out plan to allay fears on farm laws

LUCKNOW: The three farm laws that triggered unrest among farmers are set to figure prominently in the crucial working committee meeting of UP BJP Kisan Morcha at Chitrakoot on Saturday. Sources said, the committee is expected to hammer out a roadmap to allay apprehensions of the farming community on the three laws, which potentially allowed Opposition to position itself against BJP in the run-up to the assembly elections early next year. President of UP Kisan Morcha, Kameshwar Singh, told TOI that farmers are being misguided by Opposition parties for their own political goals. “The laws are beneficial to farmers and our cadre will spread the word widely,” he said, adding BJP will neutralize Opposition’s propaganda that minimum support price (MSP) has been scrapped. The inaugural session of the committee will be addressed by UP BJP chief Swatantra Dev Singh in presence of BJP national president of Kisan Morcha, Raj Kumar Chahar. Party national vice-president and UP in charge Radha Mohan Singh will address the concluding session. Chief minister Yogi Adityanath is unlikely to attend the meet, sources said. The political resolutions and campaign strategy will be announced by UP BJP state general secretary (organisation) Sunil Bansal. BJP’s farmer working committee meet comes almost a week after thousands of farmers came together to hold a ‘mahapanchayat’ in Muzaffarnagar on September 5, arming the opposition to attack the ruling regime. The ‘mahapanchayat’ assumed political significance as it was organised under the aegis of Sanyukt Kisan Morcha that comprises Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU), an outfit with sway over 125 assembly seats in west UP. Not surprisingly, the opposition openly backed the ‘mahapanchayat’ with BSP supremo Mayawati terming it an apt display of Hindu-Muslim unity in Muzaffarnagar — a city wracked by riots in 2013. A year later, BJP came to power at the Centre. Kameshwar Singh, however, maintained that the farming community has always backed BJP. He said, besides dispelling misconceptions about the three laws, the party will spread awareness on steps taken by the Centre and the UP government in favour the farming community. He said, schemes like PM Kisan Samman Nidhi envisaging grant of Rs 6,000 per annum to small and marginal farmers, PM farm insurance scheme, increased procurement of wheat and higher payment of cane price have worked in favour of the farming community.

The Times of India

2021-09-11

Lucknow