New Delhi: Striking a discordant note on the farmers’ protest again, BJP MP Varun Gandhi on Saturday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying that the families of farmers who died during the protest should be given compensation of Rs 1 crore and the demand to provide minimum support price (MSP) should also be met.
Gandhi is one of the few BJP leaders who have spoken up for the farmers, especially so since the Lakhimpur Kheri violence. After Modi announced that the three contentious laws would be withdrawn, most BJP leaders went into a self-congratulatory mode, praising the prime minister. Gandhi too praised Modi’s “large-heartedness in announcing that these three laws will be repealed”, but pointed out that if the decision had been taken earlier, “more than 700 of our farmer brothers and sisters” would not have been lost.
“It is my humble request to you that while expressing condolences to the families of our farmer brothers and sisters who were martyred in the movement, a compensation of Rs 1 crore each be announced for them,” he said.
Opposition leaders have said that the prime minister’s decision to repeal the laws was not borne out of a change of heart, but a calculated move ahead of assembly elections due next year in several states where the protests have been intensive. This has been the case in eastern UP, where Gandhi’s constituency Pilibhit is located.
Gandhi also said that all “politically motivated false FIRs that have been registered as weapons of harassment against our farmers during this movement must immediately be quashed”.
He said the farmers, apart from demanding a rollback of the laws, have also sought to make MSP legally binding. “There are more than 85% small and marginal farmers in our country. For the empowerment of these farmers, we have to ensure that they get remunerative prices for their crops. This movement will not end without the resolution of this demand and there will be widespread anger amongst them, which will continue to emerge in one form or the other,” he said, adding that the Swaminathan commission’s formula for MSP Must be followed.
The BJP leader also took on his colleagues who made “provocative statements against our agitating
farmers.”, saying they were responsible for creating an “adversarial
atmosphere”. This, he said, was responsible for the deaths of farmer
brothers who were crushed by vehicles in Lakhimpur
Kheri on October 3, he said.
“This heartbreaking incident is a blemish on our democracy,” he said, adding that the prime minister must take “appropriately strict action” against Union Minister Ajay Mishra, whose son Ashish Mishra was allegedly in a car that ran over the farmers.
“Democracy runs on constitutionality, discourse and empathy. The farmers expect you to solve their problems in a sensitive and timely manner. I believe that by accepting the demands of the farmers according to the democratic and constitutional values of our nation, your respect shall further increase in the country. I hope you will take a concrete decision in this matter soon,” he said.
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(With input from news agency language)
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