CLEAR STANCE ON FARM LAWS, SHIV SENA TELLS ANNA HAZARE

MUMBAI: The Shiv Sena has taunted noted social activist Anna Hazare’s decision to cancel his proposed fast over farm reforms due to the intervention of top Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders and asked him to make public his views on the three farm laws which the farmers are currently agitating against.

“Anna first announced his intention to fast and then cancelled it due to assurances from BJP leaders. That is ok. But what are his views on the farm laws? Does he support the farmers at Singhu border who are protesting against these farm laws? We want to know whose side Anna is on? Anna should at least clarify his stance to Maharashtra,” the Sena said in an editorial in its mouthpiece Saamana.

Hazare had announced his intent to hold an indefinite fast at his hometown Ralegan Siddhi in Ahmednagar to press demands for implementation of Swaminathan commission recommendations regarding agriculture pricing, statutory status and autonomy for the central agriculture price commission. However, he called off his fast after former Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and Union minister for agriculture Kailash Choudhary assured him of forming a high-level committee to consider his demands.

The editorial claimed Hazare was selective in his agitation. It claimed he protested in Delhi against the then Manmohan Singh-led Congress Government, which was fully exploited by the BJP. In contrast, he was not agitating against the seven-year-old Narendra Modi government.

In response, Hazare took potshots at Sena, saying that the party forgot that its own minister had to quit due to corruption. “Your minister indulged in corruption and you backed him. We had to agitate and he was removed. For us, BJP, Shiv Sena and Congress do not matter; what matter are the country and society,” he said.

Anna Hazare