'Delhi Chalo' stir: PM soft on protesting farmers, harsh on Opposition spreading canards

LUCKNOW: Amid a battle of perception on the three new farm reform bills, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday tore into the Opposition for allegedly misguiding the farmers by spreading canards in the name of baseless futuristic lurking threats to their interests.

The attack comes when thousands of farmers are gathered at the entry points of the national capital, seeking the repeal of the three laws.

The PM, however, reached out to the agitating farmers, saying they cannot be blamed for the protests as they were misled by vested interests.

Modi was addressing a gathering in Varanasi during a visit to his Parliamentary constituency to take part in the Dev Deepavali celebrations on 84 ghats of the Ganga illuminated with around 15 lakh earthen lamps.

“New laws have been brought to realise the promises we made to the farmers of our country. Policies are being framed not to deceive the farmers but with honesty and transparency,” Modi said.

Criticising the previous governments for allegedly deceiving farmers through subsidies, whose benefits never reached them, the PM said: “I feel the farmers should not be blamed for the agitation. It is natural for them to be suspicious as they have suffered deception for decades in the past.”

He dedicated to the nation the six-laning of a 73-km highway to Allahabad at the cost of Rs 2,447 crore, took part in televised prayers at the Kashi Vishwanath temple, reviewed the temple corridor project and took a ride along the ghats on a cruise boat.

As dusk fell, he witness the spectacle of Dev Deepawali in which rows of lamps were lit on the river bank.

In another speech that followed, Modi skipped any reference to the farmer's protest but took a dig at dynastic politics.

He said for some the family's legacy mattered more than the country's heritage.

In his first address, he strongly defended the farm laws which deregulate the sale of crops but have also triggered apprehensions that the minimum support price (MSP) system is being dismantled.

He reiterated that farmers who wanted to follow the old system of trading, referring to the 'mandis' where they can get the MSP,  are still free to do so.

But the three laws gave them new options to sell for more, he said.

He said whenever new laws are enacted questions are bound to be asked.

"But presently a new trend is being seen in the country. The protests are based on creating doubts through misinformation," Modi said.

"We must remember that those doing so are the ones who had for decades deceived farmers," he claimed.

The MSP used to be declared but very little procurement was done on it, he claimed.

"Farmers have faced deceit on MSP, loan waiver schemes, urea and productivity for a long time in the past," he said.

He claimed that it is because of this "long history of deceit" that farmers are again wary as they are seeing the new move in the same manner.

He asked why his government would spend so much to modernise the 'mandis' if it planned to dismantle the MSP system Modi gave figures claiming that crops worth much more were procured during the first five-year tenure of his BJP-led government than in the second term of the Congress government at the Centre.

He said small farmers will now be able to take legal action even on deals struck outside the mandis, which will not only provide them fresh alternatives but also protect them from being cheated.

He said his government has delivered on promises like ending the black marketing of urea and fixing the MSP at 1.5 times the cost of production, in line with the recommendations of the Swaminathan Commission.

This promise was not only fulfilled on paper, but has made it to farmers' bank accounts, the prime minister said.

In his second address of the day, at ghats lit up by lamps to mark Dev Deepawali --- Modi said some people paid more attention to their family's legacy than to their country's heritage.

Modi referred to the return of a statue of Goddess Annapurna from Canada, a century after it was said to have been stolen from here.

"Today is a special occasion for Kashi," he said, in his second address during a visit to his Lok Sabha constituency Varanasi.

"The ancient idols of our gods and goddess are symbols of our faith and also invaluable heritage," he said, adding that had similar efforts been made earlier, the country could have got much more of its heritage back.

"For us, legacy ('viraasat') means the country's heritage ('desh ki dharohar'). But for some people, legacy means their family and the name of their family" he said, in a veiled attack on dynastic politics.

"For us, legacy means our culture, our faith, our values. For them, legacy means their own statues and the photographs of their family," he said, without naming any party.

He also paid tributes to fallen soldiers, indirectly referring to Pakistan and 'expansionist' China.

"Be it attempts to infiltrate across the border, the audacity of the expansionist forces or those hatching a conspiracy to break the country from inside, India is replying, and is giving a befitting reply," he said.

He reiterated his call of 'Vocal for Local', saying the manner in which people celebrated Diwali this time, using local products, was inspiring.

(With PTI Inputs)