Farmers Movement Archive

BJP may drop farm laws before UP polls & implement later: SP

Lucknow: Accusing the BJP of only serving the corporates, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Monday said there was a possibility that the Modi government may withdraw the farm laws in view of the Punjab and UP elections and later implement them afresh once elections get over. He said the BJP government is committed to serve the industrialists who have already set up silos and other infra-structure because of the farm laws. “Ho sakta hai … main aaj keh raha hoon aapse … Punjab ke chunao dekhte hue, Uttar Pradesh ke chunao dekhte hue, ho sakta hai kisano ke quanoon radh kar diye jayen teeno … aur phir chuanv ke baad naye quanoon phir aa jayenge (There is a possibility … I am telling you today … keeping in mind the elections in Punjab and Uttar Pradesh, the three farm laws may be recalled … and implemented again in a new form after the elections),” Akhilesh told reporters at the party headquarters in Lucknow. The former CM said the BJP government will implement the farm laws afresh after the elections because it is committed to help the corporates who have already spent money on setting up the infrastructure required once the farm laws are implemented. Akhilesh was interacting with the media after former BSP leaders and Mayawati confidants, Lalji Verma and Ram Achal Rajbhar, formally joined the SP on Monday. Verma was the BSP Legislature party leader and Rajbhar, a UP BSP chief, when Mayawato expelled them for anti-party activities. The duo will take the membership of SP at a mega rally in Ambedkarnagar on November 7. SP chief will preside over the event. Akhilesh said the government may soon “sell” the recently inaugurated airport in Kushinagar and added that it is selling away everything primarily to deprive the benefits like reservation in employment which will not be applicable once the project is taken over by a private entity. “Don’t be misled by the gala inauguration of the Kushinagar airport recently. For the BJP leaders it was like visiting a property that a common man plans to sell,” he said. He said the Kushinagar airport project was conceptualised by his government and Rs 260 crore was allocated in the budget for its construction. “BJP is doing what it does the best. They are claiming that the Kushinagar project is their initiative,” he said.

The Times of India

2021-10-26

Lucknow