Former UP CM Urges Protesting Farmers To Stay United
Mar 20, 2021 | Pratirodh Bureau
FILE PHOTO: Women, including widows and relatives of farmers who were believed to have killed themselves over debt attend a protest against farm bills passed by the Parliament, at Tikri border near Delhi on December 16, 2020
Describing the BJP as a party that divides, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Friday urged farmers to remain united, saying a government committed to their welfare is possible only if they maintain harmony and brotherhood.
“Since the BJP has attained power by dividing society, farmers’ unity has to be maintained at any cost,” Yadav said addressing a “Kisan Mahapanchayat” at Morki Inter-College in Mathura, Uttar Pradesh.
The day farmers will understand their trick, the BJP will be out of power, he said, adding that a farmer-oriented government in the state is possible only when the harmony and brotherhood reflected in the rally is maintained.
“I am attending the “Kisan Mahapanchayat” with the expectation that by maintaining unity, farmers will teach the BJP a lesson in the next elections,” the former UP chief minister said, alleging that through its three draconian laws, the BJP-led Union government has attempted to snatch farmers’ land.
He also criticised the Centre for demonetisation, saying while people suffered due to it, the promise of eliminating corruption and black money remained unfulfilled.
Similarly, the Goods and Services Tax (GST) was introduced with a lot of fanfare but it also proved counter-productive for small and medium traders, he said.
RLD national vice-president Jayant Chaudhary, who also attended the rally, criticised BJP leaders for calling farmers terrorists and “parjeevi” (parasite).
Describing farmers as the backbone of the country, he said 300 of them have already died protesting against the Centre’s farm laws. Jayant also advised farmers to maintain unity and brotherhood.
Meanwhile, the farmers protesting at Delhi’s borders plan to keep the movement alive during the upcoming harvest season with the help of supporters from other walks of life, in an example of building solidarity across professions.
With the harvest season upon them, farmers from Punjab and Haryana are under pressure to return to their fields. But Darshan Pal of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha said that various unions and groups had already committed to sending people in batches to occupy the protest sites during this period.