Leaders project protest rally as show of their strength ahead of LS polls
Leaders from as many as 21 Opposition parties, including Congress chief Rahul Gandhi, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, former Union Ministers Sharad Pawar, Farooq Abdullah, Sharad Yadav, and Left leaders on Friday lent their support to the agitating farmers sending a strong message to ruling dispensation and the BJP ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.
Trying to project the event as a show of strength of the Opposition, Rahul said, “We may have different ideologies, but for the future of the farmers and the youth, we are all standing together on one stage. We want to tell Modi ji and the BJP that if we need to change the laws, change the Chief Ministers or even the Prime Minister, we do that for the sake of future of farmers. We will not budge even an inch, you may do whatever you want.”
The Gandhi scion, who recently promised farmers’ loan waiver within 10 days of coming to power in the three poll-bound States, trained his guns at Prime Minister Narendra Modi alleging that if Rs 30,000 crore can be given to Anil Ambani — an apparent reference to the Rafale fighter jet deal — “why can’t loans of farmers be waived”.
Farmers from 24 States joined the protest to press for their demands, including debt relief and remunerative prices for their produce.
Kejriwal alleged the PM has “stabbed farmers in the back” by not fulfilling the promises made to them and warned him that they would “wreak havoc” in 2019 general elections if those promises are not fulfilled.
“The Government had made a number of promises to farmers in the last election (2014), but it has not fulfilled those promises. By not implementing the Swaminathan Commission report, Modi ji has stabbed the farmers in the back (kisano ke peeth mey chhura bhonka hai),” he alleged. He said the Union Government should implement the report in five months.
The Opposition parties have been looking for opportunities in recent times to join hands to stop the Modi juggernaut in the next general elections. All the leaders have taken up the cause of farmers and unemployed youths to cash in on voters grievances. The leaders also took up the Ram Temple issue during the farmers’ agitation.
While Sitaram Yechury said the BJP, Modi and the RSS have only one weapon in hand that is Ram Temple, Abdullah too raked up the temple issue and said Muslims are not against Ram Mandir.
“Muslims are not against the temple. The hatred that is being spread by the Government that Muslims are against the Ram Mandir is not true. Whenever elections come, these people remember Ram. They (BJP) want to divide India on communal lines. We are 70 per cent Muslims (in Kashmir) and we will live and die for India. Your worries are our worries and we are standing with you. Elections are coming, let us stand together and not let them divide us and let us overthrow them,” Abdullah said.
Addressing famers, Rahul called for a farm loan waiver, asserting that peasants are asking for what is due to them and not a “free gift”.
The farmers gathered to press for their demands, including debt relief and remunerative prices, for their produce.
Former Agriculture Minister in UPA regime, Sharad Pawar, said farmers are lifeline of the country and in the present regime all their demands and deeds have been ignored. “How can the Government who come in Delhi after asking votes from farmers ignore them and their needs? The huge turnout of farmers from across the country is enough to prove the restlessness within the 85 percent population of the country,” Pawar said.
TMC leader Dinesh Trivedi said, “Farmers of India stands before us. This is India’s movement. Mamataji (Banerjee) has sent you love. If you have a strong resolve you can achieve everything. There are talks about loan waiver but should the farmer even have to take loans.”
He also said this gathering is the “real Parliament” and called for a special session of Parliament. Representatives of BSP and SP too were present at different intervals to express their solidarity.
Sharad Yadav too echoed similar feelings and urged the Government to justify their demands and simultaneously asked the leaders of Opposition parties gathered at Jantar Mantar and Ram Lila Maidan to defeat the bad omens of the country at Centre of power.
“If farmers are not happy who are our anndata (food providers) then we do not need to take comforts,” Yadav said.
