AMN / New Delhi
Even as farmers are intensifying their protest against the new farm laws, the BJP has decided to hold nationwide programmes, including ‘chaupals’ in rural areas, to spread awareness about their benefits.
Party sources said events, including press conferences and public programmes, would be held in majority of districts in the country.
While the BJP has accused the Opposition parties of “misleading and inciting” farmers over “historic farm reforms” for “selfish political interests”, a new controversy erupted with “posters of jailed extremists” on the Tikri border where the BKU-Ekta (Ugrahan) is protesting.
While the Centre on Friday again urged the protesting farmers to return to the table for dialogue, leaders warned of “Left-Wing threat to farmers protest”.
Meanwhile, a day after Union Ministers Narendra Singh Tomar and Piyush Goyal argued in favour of these laws and government’s stance regarding MSP, ‘mandis’ and the APMC, Prime Minister Narendra Modi shared the video of their press conference and urged the people to listen to them carefully.
“My two Cabinet colleagues, Narendra Singh Tomar and Piyush Goyal, have discussed in detail about the new farm laws and demands of the farmers. Must listen to this,” he said.
A BKU from Uttar Pradesh has also approached the Supreme Court against the three agriculture laws, alleging they will make them vulnerable to corporate greed.
On Wednesday, Bhanu Pratap Singh, who heads BKU (Bhanu), filed a petition for impleadment in the matter of Tiruchi Siva versus the Union of India.
Siva, a Rajya Sabha MP from Tamil Nadu, has also approached the Apex Court against the three farm laws, according to reports. Singh’s writ petition also challenged the laws, calling it “unconstitutional” and “anti-farmer”.
Tomar, who today again asked the farmers to return to the table, said he was yet to hear from farmers regarding government’s proposals offering amendments to the laws.
The All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination in turn charged him of “falsely claiming that farmers’ organisations have gone back on talks and should not have intensified their agitation at a time when talks are on”.
“Farmers’ organisations are always ready for talks and have responded each time the Government has called. It is the Government which is adamant on not repealing the three Acts and EB 2020 which is the main demand of the farmers,” it said.
More farmers have joined the dharna sites at Singhu, Tikri, Ghazipur and Palwal, unions said. “Farmers from Tamil Nadu have arrived and groups of farmers from almost all states of India shall be arriving to join the Delhi protest, soon,” they added.
With the farmers refusing to resume talks unless repeal of the three laws is on the table, ministers in the union government on Friday began pushing the narrative that the agitation has been hijacked by ‘anti-national’ elements. Several ministers made this claim in statements issued separately.
Union law minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said the ongoing farmers’ protest has been “overtaken” by the “tukde-tukde gang”, adding that “it is possible that the negotiations (between the government and farmers’ unions) failed due to them.”
Reiterating this claim, information and broadcasting minister Prakash Javadekar he thinks that instead of the farmers union, “the protest has now gone into the hands of organisations who work to break the nation.” “When we held talks with them, they said they want people like Sharjeel Imam to be released,” he said as evidence of his claim.
Food, Railway and Consumer Affairs Minister Piyush Goyal was also direct in his charge, alleging that certain Leftist and Maoist elements seem to have taken “control” of the agitation and rather than discussing on farmer issues, they seem to be having some other agenda.
A similar theory was pushed by agriculture minister Narendra Singh Tomar who said MSP and APMC can be the issues of farmers, “but what is the point to raise such posters”. “This is dangerous and farmers’ unions should keep themselves away from this.”
Tomar also said the government is willing to amend the laws to allay the farmers concerns, but they should give up their insistence on scrapping them. The farmers petitioned the court after rejecting a renewed government offer of talks.
The claims of the protests being hijacked were rubbished by the farmers’ groups who have maintained that their protest is apolitical and peaceful, rebuffing overtures from opposition parties.
Their petition in the Supreme Court states that the three laws, combined, would lead to complete cartelisation of the agriculture industry and leave farmers “vulnerable to the greed of the corporates”. “Corporates can, with one stroke, export agriculture produce without any regulation, and it may even result in famines,” states the plea.
The protest leaders also announced on Friday that farmers will block highways connecting Delhi with Jaipur and Agra on Saturday and organise a nationwide shutdown of businesses next Monday unless their demands are met.
Protesters said they also plan to surround the houses of BJP leaders, but denied rumours that they would also block trains.
Modi’s government insists the reforms will benefit farmers. It says they will allow farmers to market their produce and boost production through private investment.
Farmers have been protesting the laws for nearly two months in Punjab and Haryana states. The situation escalated two weeks ago when tens of thousands marched to New Delhi, where they clashed with police. More farmers are expected to reach Delhi to join the protest in the coming days.