Opposition exploiting farmers’ sentiments to create chaos, disorder: UP CM Yogi Adityanath
LUCKNOW: Reacting to the December 8 “Bharat Bandh” call given by farmers agitating against farm legislations, Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday said the opposition parties, mainly Congress, are exploiting the sentiments of gullible farmers to create chaos and disorder in the country.
In a hurriedly called press conference, the CM also criticized the Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party for supporting the previous Congress-led UPA government on the issue of reforms in the APMC Act and opposing the same when brought in by the NDA government.
“Opposition parties are taking a U-turn on the issue and they should apologise to farmers,” he said.
“Opposition kisanon ke kandhe ka istemal kar ke desh mein ashanti phaila raha hai” (the opposition is vitiating the peaceful atmosphere of the country in the garb of supporting farmers,” Yogi said.
“Even Samajwadi Party patron Mulayam Singh Yadav had supported amendments to the APMC Act but now his party is indulging in gimmicks,” Yogi said.
He said the Congress, SP and BSP were losing one election after another and being rejected by people but were not desisting from misleading farmers for their vested interest.
Yogi reiterated that the farm laws were beneficial for farmers.
He, however, did not speak on the detention of his arch political rival and national president of the Samajwadi Party, Akhilesh Yadav, who was stopped from kicking off his party’s ‘Kisan Yatra’ from Kannauj. The police had fortified Akhilesh’s private bungalow and party office and detained him as soon as he walked out of his house.
The CM, however, appealed to the farmers and Opposition parties not to indulge in any undemocratic act during the protests on Tuesday.
“Ironically, it was the Congress party which had initiated agricultural reforms by coming up with a model APMC law after the then Union agriculture minister Sharad Pawar had written a letter to the chief ministers of various states pitching for reforms in the APMC Act,” Yogi said.
“The Congress steered the move while it was supported by NCP, SP, BSP and TMC. These parties also supported the Narendra Modi government during deliberations on the issue in the standing committee but now they have betrayed their commitment to create a state of anarchy,” he said.
“The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has already issued notification for the implementation of new law but it is supporting Bharat Bandh call,” he said.
“What is most painful is the fact that Opposition is misleading the farmers and challenging the government at a time when it is fighting a decisive battle against deadly coronavirus. The Opposition is putting the lives and health of agitating farmers in danger,” Yogi remarked.
“The Modi government introduced major agri reforms while the Congress only exploited the farmers during 55 years of its governance,” he said.
He said the central government not only started the Prime Minister Kisan Samman Yojana and other insurance schemes for the welfare of farmers and their crop but was also introducing the concept of ‘One nation, one market’.
