As a fresh round of talks between the Centre and the farmers’ union got under way, the Congress on Wednesday said the government should accept the demands of the farmers as a new year gift to them.
Also read:Haryana farmers’ participation in protest growing, says BJP leader Chaudhary Birender Singh
At a joint press conference, Haryana Congress chief Kumari Selja and her Uttarakhand counterpart Pritam Singh said the government should not stand on prestige.
“2020 has not been a good year. Whether you talk about the economy or the corona pandemic or our annadataas [food providers] and workers. This government has an opportunity to make a new beginning in the new year,” Ms. Selja told reporters at the All India Congress Committee (AICC) headquarters.
She claimed that instead of helping the farmers, the new laws may end up burdening the farmers with taxations as it seeks to regulate through corporatisation.
Slamming Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal, the Congress leader said Haryana has seen the deaths of more than 10 farmers and protests across the State.
The Khattar government no longer enjoys the support of the people of the State, she said.
Also read:Industrial units in Haryana’s Bahadurgarh slowed down by farmers’ protest
“Being from a predominantly agricultural State, the Chief Minister should have led a delegation to the Prime Minister as people in high position may not be aware of ground realities.”
Questioning the government’s claim of working for the welfare of farmers, Mr. Singh alleged fraudulent practices in identifying some of the beneficiaries of PM-KISAN — a scheme to transfer ₹6,000 annually to farmers — in Uttarakhand.
He said since the new farm laws allow private mandis for procurement, the government-run mandis will be forced to close down over a period of time.
Claiming that farmers from his State also have been protesting at the Singhu border for the past 35 days, he said, “The government should now accept their demands and allow them to go back to their homes.”
