Farmers call for Bharat Bandh on Sept 27, vow to campaign against BJP in UP polls
Muzaffarnagar/Lucknow: Thousands of farmers gathered on Sunday at a Mahapanchayat organised by the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) in Muzaffarnagar, where representatives of farmer organisations from Punjab, Haryana and South India came to raise their voices against the farm laws. Farmer leaders announced that they would oppose BJP in UP, Uttarakhand and other Assembly elections. Along with this, they also decided to hold Mahapanchayat in all the divisions of UP including Gorakhpur, Lucknow, Varanasi, and Kanpur. Farmer leaders have also called for a Bharat Bandh on September 27.
Opposition parties warned the BJP-led government that it will face the "wrath" of farmers if it does not repeal the three agri laws as they voiced support for the 'Kisan Mahapanchayat'. The ruling BJP, however, termed it as an "election meeting" and alleged that the Opposition and farmer union leaders were using farmers to engage in politics ahead of elections in Uttar Pradesh next year.
BJP MP Varun Gandhi struck a different line as he described farmers, who have been protesting against three farm laws, as "our own flesh and blood" and suggested that the government should re-engage with them for reaching common ground.
"Lakhs of farmers have gathered in protest today in Muzaffarnagar. They are our own flesh and blood. We need to start re-engaging with them in a respectful manner: understand their pain, their point of view and work with them in reaching common ground," he tweeted, posting a short video of the large crowd. Varun Gandhi's MP mother Maneka Gandhi retweeted his tweet. His remarks also drew support from RLD leader Jayant Chaudhary.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi tweeted in Hindi, "The call of truth is echoing. You have to listen, unjust government!"
Party general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said that the "arrogance of power" cannot withstand the "roar of the farmers" and the whole country is with them. Demanding that the government resume the dialogue with the agitating farmers, CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury said that "our Annadatas must get justice and their due".
The BJP's 'Kisan Morcha' head and MP Rajkumar Chahar claimed that those behind the Mahapanchayat were not concerned about farmers.
"This was very much a political and election meeting. The opposition and these farmer union leaders have been using the shoulders of farmers to engage in politics," he said in a statement. Chahar claimed that no government has done so much for farmers as the one led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
"Political workers from Punjab and Haryana were brought for the event. They (organisers) are using farmers only for their political interests. It is the Centre and the UP government that are actually working for the welfare of farmers," UP BJP spokesperson Alok Awasthi said.
Meanwhile, at the Mahapanchayat, BKU leader Rakesh Tikait called Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other BJP leaders "rioters" and said the party should be given a drubbing in the 2022 Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls.
He also targeted the Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh over sugarcane prices.
"This (Muzaffarnagar) is the sugarcane belt. There was a government which had raised the sugarcane price by Rs 80, while another government had increased it by Rs 50. Is the Adityanath government weaker than these two dispensations? It did not increase the price even by one rupee.
"This government should be given 'vote ki chhott' (electoral defeat). The slogan of 'fasalon ke daam nahi, to vote nahi' (no fair price for crops, no votes) will have to be raised," Tikait said at the mega rally attended by farmers from UP and neighbouring states.
The mahapanchayat was organised at the Government Inter College ground in Muzaffarnagar in protest against the Centre's controversial farm laws.
Lashing out at the Centre over its National Monetisation Pipeline (NMP), the Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) national spokesperson said "India for sale" boards have been put up.
Referring to Modi, Adityanath and Union Home Minister Amit Shah as "outsiders", the farmer leader said he has no objection if they become prime ministers after winning polls from Uttarakhand or Gujarat.
"But on the soil of Uttar Pradesh, these rioters will not be tolerated," he said.
Tikait said SKM's aim is to "save the country and its mission is not confined to Uttar Pradesh or Uttarakhand".
He further claimed the country's railways, airlines and airports are being sold along with "privatisation of electricity" and "sale of roads".
"The banks are being sold like FCI land is being given to Adani. The Sale of India' boards have been put up and the purchasers are Ambani and Adani, he alleged referring to the top industrialists.
He also claimed that state-run energy giant Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) and fuel retailer Bharat Petroleum Corp Ltd (BPCL) are in danger .
Popular names like Medha Patkar and Yogendra Yadav were also seen on the dais. Yadav was given a yellow robe by Tikait, while the BKU leader was presented a mace at the event.
BKU media in-charge Dharmendra Malik said farmers belonging to 300 organisations spread across different states like Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab, Maharashtra, Karnataka, among others, have gathered for the event.
He said over 5,000 ''langars'' (food stalls), including some mobile stalls, have been set up for the participants.
The farmers, including women carrying flags of different organisations and wearing different coloured caps, were seen arriving at the venue in buses, cars and tractors.
Meanwhile, the Muzaffarnagar administration denied Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) chief Jayant Chaudhary's request to sprinkle flowers from a helicopter on the venue and participants of the Mahapanchayat.
City magistrate Abhishek Singh rejected the request, saying it cannot be allowed due to security reasons.
The district authorities have posted police personnel at the residences of Union minister Sanjiv Balyan and BJP MLA Umesh Malik here, as a precautionary measure.
with agency inputs
