The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has decided to step up its push to reach out to farmers across the country in a bid to allay concerns about recently enacted farm laws, even as protests against the laws reached the capital on Friday, a person familiar with said the matter.
The party carried out a 15-day campaign in which senior leaders, ministers, parliamentarians and party officials approached farmers to explain the complexities of the new laws in September, on the instructions of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to BJP cadres to raise awareness.
“The Prime Minister urged BJP workers to communicate with farmers on the ground and explain the importance of the laws. This exercise was conducted across the country … and the benefits they can get from the new laws were explained to farmers. However, given the Opposition’s attempt to mislead farmers, this exercise will be renewed, ”said another party official who was aware of the details.
As protesting farmers continued the Dilli Chalo march on Friday and faced tear gas shells, water cannons and police batons on the Haryana-Delhi interstate border, the party is concerned about the impact the fight will have on the ground. . The BJP doesn’t want the protests to overshadow its claims of writing pro-farmer policies.
High-level ministers have been urged to initiate a dialogue with farmers’ unions to stop talking. Union agriculture minister Narendra Singh Tomar told ANI that the government was ready to discuss all problems with farmers. “We have invited farmers’ organizations to another round of talks on December 3. I ask you to stop the turmoil in view of Covid-19 and winter, ”he said.
Even when the Opposition has said that the new laws do not protect farmers’ rights and are intended to favor selected corporate entities, the BJP has blamed Congress for creating such misunderstandings. States governed by Congress, such as Punjab and Rajasthan, have drafted their own laws to circumvent the core laws.
The BJP refers to its recent electoral victory in the Bihar assembly elections and Madhya Pradesh by-elections as evidence of support for its policies. “The Opposition has been deceiving the farmers. If the farmers were not convinced by the laws, then the party would not have won the elections in Bihar, Gujarat and MP, where there are a good number of farmers, ”said Rajkumar Chahar, director of Kisan Morcha of the BJP.
Chahar cited a tweet from Congress Secretary General Priyanka Gandhi Vadra as proof that the party misled the farmers. “She (Gandhi) said that the laws eliminate the MSP, which is grossly incorrect. She says the laws will favor great players, which is also wrong. The laws empower farmers with small properties; they seek to increase farm income, and the only ones who will not benefit are intermediaries, ”said Chahar.
On Thursday, Gandhi tweeted that the government instead of listening to the voice of the farmers was attacking them with water cannons. “Everything is being taken away from farmers and banks, loan waivers are being distributed, airport train stations to capitalists,” he tweeted.
On the police action, Chahar said: “Captain Amarinder (Punjab CM) should have realized that Delhi is in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic and putting pressure on farmers to protest and go out in large numbers, violating distancing rules social, “he said. their lives in danger. ”
The protesting farmers, however, questioned the urgency of enacting the laws amid the pandemic (the bills were passed in the monsoon session of Parliament) and said the government should have waited if control was taken seriously. of the spread of the virus.
Congress has come out in support of farmers. He dispatched senior leader Randeep Singh Surjewala to Panipat before dawn on Friday, where he assured protesting groups of the party’s support. Surjewala tweeted: “The Congress party strongly supports farmers. Is Delhi made only for those who protect the vault of a handful of capitalists? Isn’t the capital of India Farmer’s Right to Delhi? Why did farmers become so hated today? ”
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