A day before Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to address farmers across the country, the BJP on Thursday claimed that “nine crore farmers” will listen to the Prime Minister and asserted that “barring a small section” most of the farming community is standing with Modi on the agricultural reforms.
As the stand-off between the agitating farmers and the Government runs into third-week and the confrontation seem to be intensifying, Union Ministers and BJP leaders have accused the Congress and other Opposition parties of “misleading” the farmers and “speaking with a forked tongue” on the farming reforms.
Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javedkar said, “the Congress is using farmers” and has “always worked against their interests.”
“I challenge Rahul for a debate on the issue…Congress gave farmers only Rs 53,000 crore and that too through the banks whereas Modi delivered Rs 1,20,000 crore directly in farmers bank accounts,” said Javadekar.
BJP RS MP and spokesperson Sudhansu Trivedi in another Press briefing said Rahul is telling lies as it is him “who spoke about the need for doing away with the APMC system.”
Union Agricultural Minister Narendra Singh Tomar who met farmers supporting the Government line on farm laws, too charged the Congress of misleading farmers with its alleged “double-faced talk”.
With the face-off seeing no early end, the BJP and the Government have intensified its “awareness campaign” on new farming laws passed by the Modi-Government six-month ago.
The Prime Minister’s address to the farmers of six-States on Friday is part of BJP’s major outreach to the farmers. Modi’s virtual meet with “nine crore farmers” is scheduled on December 25 – former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s birth anniversary – during which he is expected to clarify the centre’s position on the farm laws, and release the next batch of financial aid – Rs 18,000 crore – from the PM-Kisan scheme.
At yet another Press conference, BJP general secretary Arun Singh said farmers will listen to the Prime Minister from 1200 hrs onwards.
He estimated that about 9 crore farmers will listen to Midi’s virtual address.
“All the Central Ministers, BJP CMs, State Ministers, MPs, MLAs, corporaters & mayors will participate in different awareness programmes across the country…”, said Singh.
“Over 19,000 programmes have been organised on the issue…it is like a festival…most of the farmers, barring a very few, are backing the Prime Minister on the farm laws… Farmers trust is with the Prime Minister,” Singh claimed.
The meeting will include a conversation with select farmers from six States who “will share their experiences… on initiatives taken by the Government for their welfare”, according to a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office.
Friday, 25 December 2020 | PNS | New Delhi
