Himachal Pradesh Congress chief Kuldeep Singh Rathore on Tuesday accused the Narendra Modi-led government of playing “delay tactics” with agitating farmers and said the government was only “completing formalities” in the name of holding discussions with them.
Rathore said it was a well thought out strategy of the Central government to stretch the agitation as long as it is possible so that the protesting farmers leave their demands and protests in distress and frustration.
“But the protest won’t end till the Modi government withdraws the three farm bills and all the farmers unions are united and committed to continue the protests,” he added.
State Congress chief further stated that the farmers protest had now entered 17th day but the Central government was holding discussions as a mere formality while BJP leaders were making efforts to discredit the entire movement.
“BJP leaders are sending anti-social elements to create unrest in farmers’ protests and the Union government is trying to discredit the entire movement by terming it opposition parties’ backed protest against the government,” he said.
He alleged that democracy was in danger in the country as the people who were raising voices against antipeople policies were being termed as anti-national.
Apart from this, the Union government was also trying to suppress the voice of opposition parties, he said.
He accused the BJP of being anti-farmer and said during the regime of former Chief Minister Shanta Kumar, the then BJP government had violently suppressed the protest of horticulturalists in the state that had resulted in the death of five youths.
He termed Shanta Kumar’s statement on farmers’ protests as unfortunate and said BJP had always promulgated policies which were against farmers and poor and benefitted big corporate houses. He urged the farmers and horticulturalists to unite against such draconian laws and called on them to extend wholehearted support to the entire agitation.