Anti-national elements leading farmers’ protest: Himachal BJP vice-president

Former Rajya Sabha MP and vice-president of Himachal Pradesh Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Kripal Parmar on Monday alleged that anti-national elements and middlemen are instigating the farmers’ protest.

“The protest is driven by vested interest of few anti-national elements. Attempts were made to spread the protests throughout the country but failed,” said Parmar while addressing a press conference here.

He said the real farmer was working in the field and those who have gathered at the Delhi borders were mislead by wrong elements. The former national vice-president of Kisan Morcha said the protests were confined to Punjab and Maharashtra because there is a huge business of commissions in the two states.

Parmar, who in the past has served as the chairman agricultural marketing board, said the three farm laws brought by Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government were for the benefits of farmers. “There is not a single thing written in these laws that is against farmers,” he claimed, adding that there may be some doubts on the effect of these laws but no question mark on the intention of the government.

He said when the Indian economy opened in the 1990s only the agriculture sector was left out. “Since then there was demand of various farmers’ organisation to free them from the Agricultural Produce Marketing Committee (APMC) system,” he said.

He said the BJP has a video of Congress leader Kapil Sibal speaking in the parliament where he advocates abolishing the APMCs. “Unfortunately, today, the Congress has taken a different stand and is supporting middlemen,” he alleged.

‘Congress trying to provoke farmers in state’

Himachal Pradesh Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief spokesperson Randhir Sharma on Monday said Congress leaders are trying to provoke farmers in the state for their own political gains.

While addressing a press conference in Shimla, Sharma said the Centre’s agriculture laws are in the interest of farmers and the loss is only to the middlemen. “These new laws will curb the loot in mandis,” he said, adding that the farmer’s protests have been initiated by the Congress and Left parties.

He said these protests are being staged by miscreants as farmers do not have time to leave their work and stay put at Delhi borders. “The Congress is forgetting that these laws were also promised in its election manifesto and should clarify if they were misleading the farmers then or now,” said Sharma.

He said the Left parties are scared by the popularity of present central government and are trying to spoil its image internationally. “People who are now protesting in the farmers’ movement were earlier involved in Shaheen Bagh protests,” he added.

Sharma said the Modi government has made a big improvement in the rates of MSP and is the only government that takes decisions in the interest of farmers.