Farmers' stir slipping into wrong hands, says Ex-Himachal Pradesh CM Shanta Kumar

DHARAMSALA: Himachal Pradesh's former Chief Minister and senior BJP leader Shanta Kumar on Saturday alleged that the farmers' stir against the three central farm laws is being funded by 'adhatiyas' and is fast slipping into "wrong hands", including those of terror outfits.

He made the allegation while also cautioning both farmers and government to be careful against such elements taking control of the movement.

"It is unfortunate that even after long talks by ministers and assurances by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the farmers' agitation is becoming more intensified," said Kumar, also a former Union Minister for Food and Public Distribution.

The movement has reached a critical juncture as some wrong elements have joined the movement with some suspected NGOs funding it with crores of rupees, alleged Kumar.

"The leadership of the movement now is not in the hands of the farmers working in fields. The movement is being run mainly by political leaders of Punjab," alleged Kumar.

Explaining the motives and involvement of 'adhatiya' or commission agents for crop sales in the stir, Kumar said the grain production in Punjab is very high and its procurement by the Food Corporation of India entails the generation of taxes and commission agents' fees worth over Rs 5,000 crore annually.

"With the new law, farmers will be able to sell their produce anywhere across the country and this would lead to a drastic reduction in the commission agents' income," said Kumar.

"This is the reason why Punjab's middlemen are giving crores of rupees, blankets, quilts and food grains to the people sitting on the dharna," said Kumar, adding an international NGO is giving goods worth crores of rupees besides putting up a big pandal at Delhi borders.

"The large canopy has a photo of a terrorist convicted for hijacking an aeroplane at the time of terrorism.

That terrorist, still staying abroad, is yet to be and indulging in all anti-national activities," said Kumar, referring to reports on the issue.

"If such news is true, the country needs to be careful," he said, adding a few days ago, there were 100 days of dharna in Shaheen Bagh.

"Then came a delicate phase. Riots were committed and 50 innocent people were killed. The farmer movement is also slowly taking the form of such a movement," said Kumar.