Farmers Movement Archive

Day after gherao, BJP MP Jangra says farmer agitation on its last legs

A day after the car of Rajya Sabha MP Ram Chander Jangra was gheraoed and attacked by protesting farmers in Haryana’s Hisar district, the BJP leader said farmers were being misguided by the Opposition and the agitation was on its last legs. Jangra was in the city to participate in an event to mark Vishwakarma Day celebrations at Guru Nanak Dev Bhawan on Saturday. Anticipating farmer protests, heavy police presence was seen at the venue.“There will be a major change in Punjab politics in the coming time and OBC category residents, who comprise around 42% voters will support the BJP in forming the government,” he said, adding that an OBC Commission will be constituted in the state should the saffron party come to power.Asserting that PM Narendra Modi and the BJP-led Union government have been working for the betterment of farmers and the BJP is working to implementing Swaminathan report through farm laws, he said, “The farmers have been misguided by the Congress, communists and other opposition parties as the farm laws have been implemented for their overall growth. The Union government is also open to make some changes as suggested by the farmers.”“The agitation is approaching its end. Only a few farmers can now be seen protesting at the borders of Delhi. The agitation will also come to an end in the state,” said Jangra. On any proposed alliance with former chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh’s new party, the Punjab Lok Congress, Jangra noncommittedly said that options are always open in politics. Former president Giani Zail Singh’s grandson Inderjeet Singh had organised the event under the banner of All Vishwakarma Ramgarhia Foundation. State chief slams state government for not reducing VAT on fuelAccusing the Congress government in the state of fooling the public with tall promises ahead of the assembly polls, BJP state chief Ashwani Sharma slammed chief minister Charanjit Channi for not reducing VAT on fuel. “The Congress has been asking the Union government to slash excise duty and now when the Modi-government has reduced it, the state government should also reduce VAT on fuel. Their reluctance exposes the hollowness of their promises.” “The Congress government has failed to perform in last four-and-half years and even Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee president Navjot Singh Sidhu has been highlighting the same. The subsidy announced on power has also been announced till March as the government only wants to woo the voters,” said Sharma.Farmers group stages protest While Jangra was claiming that the farmer agitation was approaching its end in the state, a group of around six farmers staged a protest outside the venue at Ferozepur Road amid heavy police deployment. Also, around a dozen farmers staged a protest against the BJP state chief outside the Circuit House. The farmers were, however, stopped by the police at some distance from both the sites.

Hindustan Times

07-11-2021

Chandigarh