NEW DELHI: After successfully drawing the nation’s attention to the deepening agrarian crises through the farmers’ long march earlier this year, the
All India Kisan Sabha will now lead a ‘Jail Bharo Andolan’ on August 9 to demand an end to the corporate-driven economic reforms in the country.
AIKS president Ashok Dhawale said the party had started an initiative to collect 10 crore signatures from farmers across the country which will be submitted to district collectors. On August 9, farmers will also court arrest, demanding an end to the growing rural distress across India.
The announcement comes in the backdrop of the Left stepping up attack on the Modi government ahead of the monsoon session of Parliament. On Friday, the Left parties attempted to corner the
Narendra Modi government over the apparent dip in India’s overall economic fortunes.
Earlier in the week, while the rupee fell to an unprecedented low of Rs 69.10, the lowest it has fallen yet, the government’s claims of bringing back black money stashed offshore also received a jolt following a report that said Indian money in Swiss banks rose by 50% to over Rs 7,000 crore this year.
Even though the government was quick to react saying that not all the money deposited in Swiss banks could be considered illegal and Union minister Arun Jaitley saying it was a ‘shaky presumption’ that all the wealth parked abroad was tax evaded, the opposition used the opportunity to attack the government on its failure to get a grip on country’s dipping economic fortunes.
CPI secretary D Raja said, “PM Modi had made tall claims about getting back all the black money and putting Rs 15 lakh into people’s accounts. It turns out now that not only were those claims false, but more money has been parked outside under his watch.”
CPM general secretary SItaram Yechury also criticised the government for doling out “black days” to the country instead of the “acche din”. He said, “From falsifying history to making new promises, Jumla-man has no time or intention to remember tall promises he made in 2014. From depositing Rs 15 lakh in each bank account to making rupee stronger to doubling farmers' income, he has only insulted and humiliated us Indians.”