In the backdrop of the month-long and ongoing farmers’ agitation on the outskirts of Delhi, the BJP on Monday cited BJP’s win in the Bihar Assembly poll, 11 State by-elections and 8 local bodies polls to claim that “rural India”, including “kisan”, is firmly “standing” with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
“Kashmir ho ya Gauhati, apna desh apni maati...”, declared Union Minister Smiriti Irani as sought to project recent poll victories of the BJP as an endorsement of farm reforms carried out by the Modi-government about six-month ago.
The minister said the outcome of elections, held between September and December, are an indication that Modi and the BJP have been able to secure the trust of the people.
She said since the laws were passed opposition was creating misinformation that people were not happy and expressing their anguish.
Addressin a press conference here Irani said support for the news laws and the Government’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic, which was carried out simultaneously with the Modi Government’s development agenda has played a key role in scripting the party’s performance.
“Ever since the agriculture reform bills have been passed in Parliament the opposition parties have been trying to create misinformation that the people in rural areas are unhappy with the Union government. But the democratic process shows the truth ...how in the rural areas whether it is farmers or ordinary people, especially women have shown their faith in PM Modi and the BJP,” said the union minister.
Irani said since September 27, 2020 and till December 22, the BJP won the Bihar assembly elections, by polls in 11 state; and eight local body elections.
The Minister who is also an MP from Amethi, UP, said as against BJP which got overwhelming support , Congress collected a duck in some of these states.
“Unki party ka haal unke nivrtman adhyaksh ki hi tarah hain”, she quipped taking a dig at Rahul Gandhi who lost his 2019 Lok Sabha poll to her from Amethi.
Farmers are demanding roll-back of three farm laws which they apprehend would handover farm marketing to the big corporates and phase-out Minimum Support Price and the “Mandi system’. The government is firm on not scrapping new laws saying reforms in farm sector are long overdue and need to be done for modernisation and increasing income of the farmers.
The stand-off is on despite six rounds of negotiations.
