Cong accuses BJP of hatching ‘conspiracy’ against farmers
Cong state chief says new farm laws will be repealed if his party wins election in 2024
DEHRADUN/HARIDWAR: The Congress on Saturday accused the BJP-led central and state governments of “hatching a conspiracy” against farmers by enacting three farm laws amid the Covid-19 pandemic as the main opposition party commenced second leg of its “Parivartan Yatra” in Haridwar on Saturday.
The second leg of the yatra was launched with rallies and public meetings by top Congress leaders, including state president Ganesh Godiyal, state unit in charge Devendra Yadav and leader of opposition Pritam Singh. Party national general secretary and former chief minister Harish Rawat was not present as party insiders said he was busy with issues related to Congress Punjab unit of which he is the state in-charge.
The first leg of Parivartan Yatra was held from September 3-7 covering constituencies of US Nagar and Nainital districts. The second leg will cover the constituencies in Haridwar district, which has a considerable number of farmers.
Addressing a public meeting at Jawalapur constituency, Godiyal lashed out at the BJP and accused it of “crushing the rights of farmers of the country.”
“During the pandemic, when people were suffering a lot due to poor health services, the BJP government instead of helping them, conspired against farmers by enacting the three black farm laws which are completely against the farmers. It was completely unwarranted and shameful action against the farmers who worked hard even in the pandemic to feed the nation,” said Godiyal.
He said, “The farmers have been protesting against the laws near Delhi since last year in so far at least 600 farmers have lost their lives. But this government is hell bent to not speak to them and repeal the laws. Those laws are only to benefit Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s industrialist friends and not farmers. If voted to power in the 2024 general election, the Congress will repeal those laws with immediate effect.”
Godiyal also attacked the BJP-led state government for “not doing anything on development despite having their government at the Centre, also.”
“The BJP failed to do anything for the development of state. Today, the state is at the top position in unemployment index which is a matter of great shame. And this shame has been brought to the people of state by this BJP government,” said Godiyal.
“Modi after the first wave of Covid-19 had announced a package of ₹20 lakh cr but it didn’t benefit any labourer, jobless youth, street vendor or a shopkeeper. Rather it was used to waive off the loans of his industrialist friends,” he said. “The Congress has launched a campaign - Naukari Do, Yuvaon Ko Nyay Do - under which any jobless person can give a miss call to the number released by the party which would then be used as a data to give jobs after coming to power in 2022 assembly elections.”
Leader of opposition Singh too lashed out the BJP government by accusing it of selling the national assets. “After gaining independence, first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru had established many institutions form the development of country. Those institutions have been contributing immensely to the country’s development and the welfare of poor. But today, the BJP government under Modi, is hell bent on selling all those national assets,” said Singh.
He said, “Due to the wrong policies of the government, the prices of essentials, including groceries and fuel, has also increased drastically. The common man is suffering a lot with the poor struggling to have a one time meal. But this government is doing nothing to control it, rather only leading to its increase.”
Hailed the crowd, he said, “With the kind of support we are witnessing in the Parivartan
Yatra from the public, we are sure that they too are firm to have a parivartan (change) in the state in next assembly elections in 2022 which the Congress will win with a thumping majority.”
The BJP, however, refuted the allegations of Congress and claimed that it will win the 2022 polls with a mandate “much bigger than the previous one”.
“The Congress is just day dreaming of winning the election but the people have rejected them long back because they have seen how much deep their leaders were in corruption when they were in power from 2012-17.
“We have done a lot of development works under the leadership of PM Modi and are sure to win the 2022 election by crossing the tally of 60 seats in the 70-member assembly,” said BJP state president Madan Kaushik.