Staring a major farmers' outreach programme in West Bengal, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president J.P. Nadda on Saturday defended the Farm Bills passed by the Centre saying that they are aimed provided "freedom to farmers".
Speaking at a public rally at Katwa in Purba Bardhaman, Mr. Nadda said that during the outreach programme titled “Krishak Samman Abhiyyan” BJP workers will visit farmers houses, will ask of a handful of food grains and take a pledge to protect their interest. Mr. Nadda visited five households in Katwa as a part of the programme and collected a hand full of food grains from each house.
“The programme will continue till January 24 and BJP workers will visit 40,000 villages in the state. After this the BJP workers will observe “Krishak Bhoj’ ( Lunch with farmers) till January 31 and tell them what injustice is being done to farmers in West Bengal," Mr Nadda said.
During the day the BJP president had lunch at the house of a farmer Mathura Mondal in Katwa with other State BJP leadership.
Mr Nadda's visit to Purba Bardhaman, an agrarian belt which is often referred as the rice bowl of the State, is an attempt by the party to reach out to farmers of the State.
Only a month ago the BJP president's visit to the State witnessed violence when his convoy was attacked in Diamond Harbour.
Later in the day from Katwa, Mr Nadda visited a party office in Burdwan town and participated in a road show.
During his address at Katwa, Mr Nadda targeted the Trinamool Congress government and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for the non-implementation of PM Kisan Samman Nidhi.
The West Bengal government has been maintaining that it is willing to implement PM Kisan provided the money is routed through the State government. There are about 70 lakh beneficiaries to the scheme in West Bengal.
“Today, I heard that Mamata ji has written to the Prime Minister saying that her government is willing to implement PM Kisan... Now when you find that you are losing support base you want to implement the scheme.. We don’t require your consent now. The next elected State government of BJP will implement the scheme in May 2021,” Mr Nadda said.
The BJP president said that for the past two years Ms Banerjee has not paid any heed to repeated requests by the Central government to implement the scheme.
Mr Nadda defended the Farm Bills, which have triggered massive protests in the national capital by pointing out that it will provide freedom to farmers who can enter into a contract for selling their agricultural produce.
The BJP president claimed that the Union Government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi has implemented the recommendation of Swaminathan Commission and increased minimum support price by 50 %.
“Under the leadership of Modi ji the Budget of Agriculture has increased six times from from Rs 22,000 crore to 1,34,000 crores,” he added. Targeting the West Bengal Chief Minister Mr Nadda accused Ms Banerjee of starting “ cut money culture” and accused the government of corruption in the Amphan relief work.
“After the Calcutta High Court ordered a probe by the CAG in the Amphan relief, she has approached the Supreme Court.. What are you fearing Didi?” he said.
Mr Nadda accused, the Trinamool Congress government of changing names of Central government schemes and promoting them as State’s schemes but claimed that people of the State have made up their mind to remove Trinamool Congress government from power.
“The people of the State have made up their minds; they are ready to welcome the BJP. We have only to come forward to accept the opportunity,” he told the gathering.
Why not visit protesting farmers in Delhi, asks Trinamool
Trinamool Congress leadership called Mr Nadda’s visit "political tourism" and said why the BJP leadership is not going to meet farmers protesting in Delhi who are sitting only 40 to 50 minutes away from their residence.
“ For those who have come here in West Bengal, today. Look at what is happening in Delhi, it takes only 40 to 50 minutes in Delhi to speak to the protesting farmers,” Trinamool leader and State’s Minister Chandrima Bhattacharya said.