Prime Minister accuses opposition of using farmers; The All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordinating Committee says the focus is still on MSP.
Refuting Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s claim that farmers’ unions were moving the goal posts every day, the All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee (AIKSCC) said on Friday that the only demand from farmers was an “insured”, “guaranteed” and “legalized”. ”Income announcing the Minimum Price of Sustenance for all crops.
Earlier in the day, speaking at a program to release a ₹ 18,000 crore quota to 9 crore beneficiaries of Prime Minister Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana, Modi said that people with a certain political ideology, who instigated farmers’ agitation, were moving the goal posts. every day to raise new issues not even related to the movement and they did not allow discussions for political reasons.
Appealing again to farmers not to be fooled, Modi said that the farmers’ movement started with concerns about the Minimum Support Price, but that they were now seeking the release of those accused of violence and even opposing the squares of Toll. “Those who shoot from the shoulders of the farmers are raising different issues on their behalf because they don’t make any logic,” Modi said.
The prime minister, however, reiterated the government’s offer to enter into talks, saying that his government was willing to speak even to its staunch political opponents, but that the talks could only take place in the realm of facts, logic and issues. .
Single point demand
In response to Modi’s speech, AIKSCC Secretary General Avik Saha, in a Farmers’ Bulletin, said the Prime Minister should stop confusing people and not obfuscate the movement. “Farmers have only one demand. Give them insured, guaranteed and legalized income. It can be done by advertising MSP for all crops and making sure all farmers in the country get it. It must be a legal guarantee, ”said Mr. Saha.
He said that the Prime Minister’s attempt to confuse people would not work and that he should stop working for large corporations. “If there is any change in goal, it is on the government’s side. We only want the right to live with dignity for ourselves and a secure future for our children, ”he said.
‘Opposition inaction’
In a scathing attack on his political opponents, Modi, in his 50-minute speech, said that the opposition parties crying for farmers today had done little for them when they were in power.
“Those who led the agitation today followed the recommendations of the Swaminathan Commission report when they were in power,” Modi said. He added that despite the turmoil, farmers rejected those behind the movement in the Panchayat elections in Rajasthan, Assam and Jammu and Kashmir. “Through the vote they have supported the new laws,” he remarked.
Accusing the West Bengal government of blocking the benefits of Samman Nidhi Yojana to state farmers for political reasons, Modi turned his guns to the left without naming any specific party, saying that those who ruled West Bengal for three decades and so bankrupt, never launched an agitation over Samman Nidhi’s denial to farmers in the state, but they came to Punjab and are raising questions about farm laws.
Modi said that many lies were being spread about the new laws. Some people were spreading rumors that mandis it would close and the minimum support price would stop. “But not a single mandi It has been closed, ”Mr. Modi said. Alleviating farmers’ fears about the laws, he said the new laws gave farmers more freedom to sell their produce.
He added that these people were talking about APMC, but they were in power in Kerala where there was no mandis. “They have time to fool the farmers of Punjab. But if it is a good system. Why is it not in Kerala? ”Mr. Modi asked.
Public contract
In response to the allegations, Mr. Saha said that the Prime Minister had deliberately misrepresented the facts on the APMC issue in Kerala, because the Kerala government was the main buyer of agricultural products despite the absence of mandis. “Farmers in Kerala are getting more prices than the rest of India due to government intervention,” he said.
He said that thousands of farmers across the country wanted to join the historic movement in Delhi and that if the government wanted to see the real scope of the upheaval, they should allow the trains to run. “Farmers cannot get to Delhi due to deliberate unavailability of trains. Please allow trains, we will book entire trains and the number will increase by billions and billions every day, ”he said.
He reported that farmers’ organizations had decided to organize a “Dhikkar Diwas” (Day of Shame) on December 26 across the country. “We expect farmers and ordinary people to do it in around 5,000 places in large numbers. Meanwhile, the number of sit-ins has increased significantly and is currently happening in 200 districts. It means that almost a third of the country is now involved in farmers’ protests, ”said Mr. Saha.
From Maharashtra
Meanwhile, hundreds of farmers from Maharashtra came to Shajahapur in Rajasthan and sat in a dharna on the Delhi-Jaipur highway in the afternoon after the Haryana police denied them entry to the state, resulting in a complete blockade of the highway. One of the roadways on the highway was already blocked more than a week ago. Additionally, there were reports of toll plazas at some points in Haryana in response to a call from farmers’ unions for toll plazas in the state to be free on December 25, 26 and 27.
The AIKSCC, in a press release, stated that with the arrival of more than 5,000 participants in Ghazipur, the number of protesters had exceeded 12,000.
He said that those behind the unrest were fighting for their political survival, but should not play with the future of farmers.
On the occasion, the Prime Minister also interacted with farmers from various states in the country, including Maharashtra, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Orissa, to learn about their experience with the new agricultural laws and the various schemes launched by his government throughout the years. years.
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