Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal today took to Meerut in support of the protesting farmers and lied from both sides of his mouth.
First let’s hear the venom he spewed on Sunday in support of protesting farmers and against the Centre whom he compared with Britishers.
“The government wants to take away their lands and give them to 3-4 capitalists. Farmers will become labourers in their own fields, that is why it’s do-or-die situation for farmers,” he said.
Addressing a ‘Kisan Mahapanchayat’, Kejriwal alleged that the January 26 violence at Red Fort was orchestrated by the BJP itself. Comparing BJP to Britishers, he said that not even the colonisers use water canons and lathis on farmers.
“It has been more than 3 months, in winters, for the last 95 days at Delhi border with their families are sitting at protests. 250 farmers have been martyred but the govt is not affected.”
(Interestingly, none of the visuals from this Kisan Mahapanchayat show its strength, leading to speculation if it was a damp squib after all).
The truth is no farmer is obliged to accept the farm laws. They could continue to sell their agri produce they have been selling all this while. Only, they have been afforded a CHOICE in the three farms laws. How would then the farmers’ land would pass on to capitalists, how is it a do or die situation for farmers?
Further, if 250 farmers were really dead in 90 days, or almost three deaths daily, one would’ve seen images of funeral etc. Instead, life has been usual at the protesting sites. Sweets continue to be served and gyms and massage centres function as usual.
Further, Kejriwal said: “The entire Red Fort incident was planned by them. Many people told me they were deliberately shown wrong path as they didn’t know the streets of Delhi. Those who hoisted flags were their (BJP) workers. Our farmers can be anything but anti-nationals.”
Now this is hilarious. Most who were named to have brought on dishonour to the tricolour and demean Republic Day have been arrested. None of them have turned out to be BJP guys. CCTV and video footages, as well as face-recognition technology is foolproof. And how could farmers be misled when instead of entering the Capital after 12 noon, as agreed with the Delhi Police, they broke the barricades, flashed swords and beat up cops from 8 am onwards?
Kejriwal called his Uttar Pradesh counterpart Yogi Adityanath a liar. He claimed UP’s sugarcane farmers are not getting their dues up to two years. He claimed the cumulative backlog was Rs 18,000 crores.
“Yogi Adityanath, shame on your government if you are incapable of ensuring payments sugarcane farmers,” Mr Kejriwal said.
If it’s true, none through the length of the agitation, over three months now, has an outcry on pending sugarcane payment been heard. One would’ve to wait for Yogi administration to issue a clarification on it.
Kejriwal then went about telling about what his AAP government has done all along for the farmers.
That he had observed a one-day fast in support of farmers. That he had urged the AAP workers and people of the national capital to show their support. That Centre was planning to stop them but we didn’t allow permission to reach them Delhi’s large nine stadiums. That we have been helping them with water, free wifi and toilets.
Kejriwal of course made no mention of the fact that even Western powers have acknowledged India’s outreach to farmers and attempt to engage them in dialogue, in the best of democratic traditions, all these months. That the prime minister himself has announced in Parliament that he could suspend the three farm laws for a year and a half if so the protesting farmers desire.
Agriculture minister Narendra Tomar has repeatedly asked to pinpoint one clause in the three farm laws which the protesting farmers have objection to. Instead of dialogue, the farmers have been demanding “repeal or nothing.” They haven’t paid heed to government, haven’t lent an ear to Supreme Court, and have been dismissive about the Committee appointed by the apex court.
Above all, there is no thought to what the rest of the farmers in the country feel about the three farm laws. There is no credible opposition to these laws from rest of the country. The truth is a few thousands have been holding the nation to ransom while nobody has bothered to know what the rest of 11 crore farmers feel about the three agri laws.
Indeed, leaders like Kejriwal don’t seem interested in playing a constructive role. They prefer to stoke the fire instead of asking the farmers which is the clause in the farm laws to which they have objection to. It’s hardly honourable to keep Capital you govern under siege.
