Protesting against the death of farmers and the problems faced by them in Uttarakhand, the Pradesh Congress Committee president Pritam Singh led party leaders and cadre in a demonstration against the State Government here on Thursday.
Addressing the gathering on the occasion, the PCC chief said that during the 2014 lok Sabha elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party had made false promises to the public to secure election. Three years after formation of the government, none of the promises made to the public have been fulfilled. While farmers in the nation are committing suicide in desperation due to their inability to repay bank loans, the BJP led Central Government is celebrating completion of three years in office.
Singh said, “Farmers in Uttarakhand committing suicide is a serious issue. This makes it appear as if the farmers are not getting proper price for their produce. The farmer is being crushed under the burden of loan. Earlier, the BJP had stated that if it forms government here, the farmers would be provided a loan waiver and they would also be provided interest-free loan. But, the Government has not kept this promise.
The farmers provide food grains and the Congress has always fought for the cause of farmers from the House to the roads. We will continue this till the farmers get justice,” averred Singh. The PCC chief went on to opine that the prime minister Narendra Modi has not fulfilled the promises he had made earlier to the people of India. Singh further said, “The Congress party had earlier decided to desist from protest against the state government for its first six months in office. However, the BJP state government is consistently meting out injustice to the poor, minorities, farmers and Dalits in the State which has become difficult to tolerate,” he added.
The leader of opposition in the Vidhan Sabha and Haldwan MlA Indira Hridayesh and the former chief minister Harish Rawat also addressed the gathering on the occasion. They expressed strong criticism for the BJP governments at the Centre and State accusing them of pursuing “anti-farmer” policies and maintaining an apathetic attitude towards farmers. The Central Government is focused on celebrating its three years in office while the state government is celebrating completion of its 100 days in office whereas for the first time the farmers in Uttarakhand are in such dire straits.
The Congress party state co in charge Sanjay Kapur, MlA Qazi Nizamuddin, Mahila Congress Uttarakhand president Sarita Arya, former cabinet minister Dinesh Aggarwal, Kisan Congress state president Pramod Kumar Singh and other party leaders also expressed their views on the occasion.