Harpreet Singh said he would send a legal notice to the party.
New Delhi:
A farmer protesting at the Singhu border in Delhi for two weeks has said that his image has been illegally used by the BJP to promote agricultural laws in their advertisements. Harpreet Singh, who is around 35 years old, said he would send a legal notice to the party, with his original photograph and a copy of the advertisement.
The announcement, intended to address one of the biggest concerns of protesting farmers, the prospect of the government phasing out its guaranteed prices for crops, was posted on Facebook by the BJP’s Punjab unit on Monday.
The ad, which also provided data on the government’s purchase of crops, including rice and legumes, featured an edited image of a farmer carrying a plow.
Singh said the photo, which was clicked on about seven years ago, was taken off his social media page without his permission.
The ad, which also provided data on the government’s purchase of crops, including rice and legumes, featured an edited image of a farmer carrying a plow.
The Punjab farmer from Hoshiyarpur, who had also worked as an actor, said he found out after a friend noticed the ad and sent a message on WhatsApp.
“Now everyone calls me a BJP poster boy. I’m not. I’m the protesting farmer’s poster boy,” Singh told reporters today.
The farmer said he has been staying on the Singhu border, where thousands of people have been gathering since November 26, demanding that the farm laws be lifted.
With five rounds of negotiations with farmers unfinished and farmer representatives resolutely rejecting all offers to amend the laws, the government has embarked on a massive outreach program.
While Prime Minister Narendra Modi has repeatedly tried to reassure farmers about the laws passed by parliament in September, the Center has also reached out with statements, announcements and messages on social media.
The government says the laws are important reforms in the agricultural sector that will help farmers bypass the middlemen and allow them to sell their products anywhere in the country.
Farmers say the laws will reduce their income by eliminating the minimum prices set by the government and leaving them at the mercy of companies.
The Supreme Court has now said that a committee will be formed to deal with the issue. The committee, the court said, must have “independent members with knowledge of agriculture and listen to both parties and give a report on what needs to be done.”
Meanwhile, protests should be allowed to continue as long as they do not pose a threat to life or property, the court said.
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