Delhi CM says new farm laws 'death warrant' for farmers
Meerut: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday called the new farm laws a "death warrant" for farmers, claiming they would take away their land and reduce them to labourers on their own farms.
Addressing a Kisan Mahapanchayat organised in Meerut by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) against the Centre's contentious laws, Kejriwal said farmers are continuously agitating in the cold because their farms will be taken over by capitalists.
He claimed that three-and-a-half lakh farmers have committed suicide in the last 25 years.
The AAP national convener alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) cheated the farmers after coming to power.
Today, farmers are being tortured all over the country, Kejriwal alleged, referring to the protests.
Water cannons are being used against them and iron nails are studded on roads to restrict their movement, he said.
Stressing that farmers are not enemies of the country, he accused the Union government of surpassing the Britishers in oppressing people.
Kejriwal further alleged that the farmers are being falsely prosecuted.
"These people (government) were behind the incident at the Red Fort. All the people coming to me said that these people deliberately gave way to the farmers so that they move towards the Red Fort. Those who hoisted the flag were their own workers," Kejriwal alleged.
Tens of thousands of protesting farmers clashed with the police in the national capital on January 26, 2021 during a tractor parade to highlight their demands.
Many of them, driving tractors, reached the Red Fort and entered the monument, where a religious flag was hoisted. Over 500 police personnel were injured, and one protestor died.
Kejriwal said farmers can be anything but traitors, however, the BJP government is suing them for treason and calling them terrorists.
He claimed that in its 2014 election manifesto, the BJP had said it would implement the Swaminathan Commission report and MSP (minimum support price) at 50 per cent more than actual cost of production would be given to farmers.
