Farmers Movement Archive

PM Narendra Modi’s birthday prompts protests by opposition & farmers, prayers by BJP

CHANDIGARH/HISAR/BATHINDA: Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s birthday elicited greetings from BJP functionaries and supporters on Friday, but the PM and his government also came under sharp criticism from farm unions and opposition political parties on the occasion. BJP Haryana president Om Prakash Dhankhar went to the extent of performing a yagya (prayer) in the courtyard of Mansa Devi temple in Manimajra to mark Modi’s 71st birthday. In Hisar district of the state, while the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) organised a Covid-19 vaccination camp in Hansi to celebrate Modi’s birthday, the Youth Congress fried pakoras outside the mini-secretariat to highlight joblessness under BJP rule in the country. In neighbouring Punjab’s Mansa district, farmers staged a protest and tried to barge into the district’s India Post headquarters on coming to know that BJP functionaries and workers from Mansa were sending congratulatory letters to Modi. When the police stopped them, the farmers held a protest outside. At Mansa Devi, Dhankar talked about Modi’s connection with the state, recollecting that in 1996, Modi came to Haryana as BJP’s in-charge and spent a long time in the state. "The party’s brigade trained by Modi is leading the organisation and the government," he said. In Mansa, tempers rose during the day. Farmers alleged that they were fighting a harsh battle and had lost over 600 farmers in the ongoing protests, so BJP had no right to celebrate the birthday of the PM, who was responsible for the miseries of farmers. BJP activists, instead of holding an assembly to celebrate the birthday, had decided to post letters to the PM and had reached the post office with Mansa mandal president Rohit Kumar. However, farmers reached the venue when they came to know about it. BKU (Ekta Dakaunda) block secretary Makhan Singh Bhainibagha said when they learnt that BJP leaders were sending letters, they reached the spot too. "We will even protest at the houses of leaders who played a role in sending congratulatory letters to Modi," he said. The activists of farmer organisation Punjab Kisan Union too participated in the protest. Meanwhile, Dhankhar also announced the launch of a campaign, named ‘Sewa Aur Samarpan’ (service and dedication), to mark Modi’s birthday. He said the campaign will come to an end on October 7, when 20 years of Modi’s rule as a CM and PM will be completed. In Hisar, deputy speaker Ranbir Gangwa, MLA Kamal Gupta and BJP district president Captain Bhupendra participated in separate events of blood donation camp and plantation. At the mini-secretariat, local councillor Krishna Satrod described the PM’s birthday as "national unemployed day". Youth Congress also took out a protest procession outside the Hisar mini-secretariat. Satrod said once Modi had said that setting up a pakoda stall also generated a job. "But, today, when we gathered with all necessary items for frying pakodas, we realised that it’s not cheap. For this also, a lot of money will have to be spent, which hardly any unemployed youth will have," he said.

The Times of India

2021-09-18

Chandigarh