Former Chief Minister and senior Congress leader Harish Rawat is now on a stir spree, making full use of the police firing in Mandsaur district of BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh that killed at least five farmers who were demanding loan waiver. On Friday, he staged a protest at Har Ki Pauri, observing silence for over an hour against the killing of farmers in MP. However, it was nearly reduced to an individual protest as a handful of the former CM’s followers participated in it with the local farmers and the Congress office bearers, who were expected to throng the venue, choosing to stay away.
Rawat hit out at the BJP governments in the Centre and in several states, saying that they are killing the farmers and tormenting the Dalits. He said that the statues of B S Ambedkar are being vandalised across the country at the behest of the saffron party. He also hinted that he would embark on another stir soon to take up the cause of the sugarcane growers in Roorkee after taking consent from the state party president. He alleged that the BJP government in Uttarakhand is not clearing outstanding dues of the sugarcane growers landing them in grim crisis aside from subjecting the Dalits in Haridwar to atrocities.
Speaking to The Pioneer, Harish Rawat said, “I observed silent protest against the barbaric killing of innocent farmers at Mandsaur in Madhya Pradesh. Farmers across the country are demanding their rights, but BJP government has resorted to firing shots on them by way of reminding them what 'Achhe Din' of its concept means. Besides, my party is alarmed over continuing atrocities the Dalit community people are being subjected to. The picture is grim as the saffron party- helmed governments everywhere are bent on destroying the harmonious structure of the society.” He also took pot-shots at the Narendra Modi government, saying that they are cheating ‘Ganga Maa’ by doing nothing to check pollution in the holy river despite flaunting Namami Ganage project as their dazzling achievement.
He also slammed the state government, saying that all public welfare schemes which were started by the Congress dispensation are being systematically scrapped by the BJP government. “Dalits are feeling insecure in Uttarakhand. I would soon stage a day- long stir in Roorkee for the rights of the farmers and the Dalits," affirmed Rawat.