Vibha sharma
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, December 11
With farmers’ unions intensifying protests against central farm laws, the BJP has decided to carry out nationwide programs, including ‘chaupals’ in rural areas, to spread awareness of their benefits.
Party sources said the events, including press conferences and public programs, would be held in most of the country’s districts.
Meanwhile, the ‘jathebandis’ said there was no ‘rail roko’ in their protest plans, which includes freeing up toll roads, blocking the Jaipur-Delhi highway and dharnas at district headquarters and state capitals.
To confirm this, BKU (Rajewal) President Balbir Singh Rajewal said that the decision regarding the ‘rail roko’ would be made later after consultations with unions across the country.
While the BJP has accused opposition parties of “misleading and inciting” farmers about “historic agricultural reforms” by “selfish political interests”, a new controversy erupted with “posters of jailed extremists” on the Tikri border. where the BKU-Ekta (Ugrahan) is protesting.
While on Friday the Center again urged protesting farmers to return to the table for dialogue, the leaders warned of the “threat from the left to the farmers’ protest.”
Referring to the posters demanding the release of the defendants jailed in Tikri yesterday, Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar called it a “dangerous and distracting tactic to divide the agitation of farmers.”
“They can demand MSP, APMC, changes in the Laws… what do these posters mean? Farmers have to be careful, as it is a way to divide the movement, ”he said.
Calling it “cause for deep concern”, Justice Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said: “This is a sinister plan to hijack the movement, exploit farmers’ unions…. there is sufficient evidence to show that the ‘tukde tukde gang’ threatens to take over the protest. There are serious charges against those who are portrayed as victims ”.
When asked about the controversy, Rajewal said that the protests in Tikri were under the BKU-Ekta (Ugrahan), “and it has nothing to do with ‘jathebandis’ in Singhu.”
Meanwhile, a day after Union ministers Narendra Singh Tomar and Piyush Goyal argued in favor of these laws and the government’s stance on the MSP, ‘mandis’ and the APMC, Prime Minister Narendra Modi shared the video of his press conference and urged people to listen to them carefully.
“My two cabinet colleagues, Narendra Singh Tomar and Piyush Goyal, have discussed in detail the new farm laws and the farmers’ demands. I must listen to this, ”he said.
A Uttar Pradesh BKU has also addressed the Supreme Court against the three agricultural laws, claiming they will make them vulnerable to corporate greed.
On Wednesday, Bhanu Pratap Singh, who heads BKU (Bhanu), filed an implementation petition in the Tiruchi Siva case against the Union of India.
Siva, a Rajya Sabha MP from Tamil Nadu, has also addressed the Apex Court against the three agricultural laws, according to reports. Singh’s writ petition also defied the law, calling it “unconstitutional” and “anti-farmer.”
Tomar, who again today asked farmers to come back to the table, said he had not yet heard from farmers about government proposals offering amendments to the laws.
The All India Coordination Kisan Sangharsh, in turn, accused him of “falsely claiming that farmers’ organizations have backtracked on the talks and should not have escalated their agitation at a time when talks are underway.”
“Farmers organizations are always ready for dialogue and have responded every time the government calls. It is the Government that remains firm in not repealing the three laws and the EB 2020, which is the main demand of farmers, “he said.
More farmers have joined the dharna sites in Singhu, Tikri, Ghazipur and Palwal, the unions said. “Farmers from Tamil Nadu have arrived and groups of farmers from almost every state in India will soon be arriving to join the Delhi protest,” they added.
