Lucknow
After Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) and the Congress, now Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has also jumped into organizing Kisan Mahapanchayats in Uttar Pradesh to fuel the ongoing farmers’ agitation. The party organised its first Kisan Mahapanchayat on Sunday in Meerut near Delhi bypass.
Addressing farmers, the Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal alleged that the Modi government has given in writing to the Supreme Court that it cannot offer the minimum support price (MSP) to farmers. “It was due to this reason the Central government was not accepting farmers’ main demand to enact law on the MSP,” he pointed.
Kejriwal claimed that a senior BJP leader told him that MSP will entail a financial burden of 17 lakh crore on the government which it can’t afford. “There is no dearth of funds. They lack political will to resolve the impasse. The Centre will not face any financial crisis if it spends Rs 17 lakh crore in offering MSP to farmers,” he said.
Amid applause, the Delhi CM announced that the AAP government, if it came to power at the Centre, will make a law to ensure MSP to farmers.
“In the last 70 years, all political parties have cheated on farmers. Throw out this government and give AAP a chance. We will run the country the way we are running Delhi. Prices will come down, power will be made available on cheaper rates and free to the poor, farmers will be paid MSP on their produce,” he offered.
Kejriwal also took a jibe at the UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. “Let Yogi ji tell which mandi in Uttar Pradesh is offering MSP. Forget about MSP, Rs 18000 sugarcane dues are pending. There is no power and consumers are made to pay exorbitantly,” he charged.
“Give AAP a chance and it will ensure sugarcane farmers are paid within hours and uninterrupted power is available at cheaper rates in Uttar Pradesh,” he urged.
On the Republic Day violence, he alleged that it was all planned by the Centre. “Farmers and their leaders would have been in jail had my government allowed them to go to the stadium,” he disclosed, claiming that AAP workers are supplying ration to farmers sitting on Dharna at borders.
The Kisan Mahapanchayat in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh is being viewed as AAP attempting to make inroads into the state using farmers’ agitation as a political tool in the run up to 2022 Assembly polls. Sanjay Singh, who was also present during Sunday’s mahapanchayat, has been entrusted with the task by the party.
