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Modi government betrayed farmers: Kejriwal

PUNJAB NEWSLINE NETWORK | November 30, 2018 05:06 PM

NEW DELHI: The Modi government has stabbed farmers in the back by telling the Supreme Court that it cannot implement recommendations of the M.S. Swaminathan Commission which the BJP promised to do so in 2014, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said on Friday.

Addressing a farmers rally here at Jantar Mantar, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader also slammed the Centre's crop insurance scheme as a "fraud" and demanded that it be scrapped.

"Soldiers at the borders and farmers at thier farms are in distress. It's a sad state of affairs. The BJP has dishonoured the promises it made in 2014," Kejriwal said.

Thousands of farmers from across the country marched from Ramlila Maidan to Jantar Mantar in the heart of the capital seeking loan waiver and higher crop prices and warning political parties not to ignore their plight.

Reminding the BJP's promise vis-a-vis the Swaminathan Commission, Kejriwal accused the ruling party of going back on its election promise.

"They have filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court and said they can't implement it. There can't be a greater betrayal than this. This government has stabbed farmers in the back," he said, asking the government to take back the affidavit.

He warned that if it failed to do so, farmers would teach the saffron party a lesson in the 2019 elections.

Demanding loan waiver for farmers, he also said that they must get fair price for their produce.

"They are not begging but fighting for their rights. Once their loans are waived, they won't demand it again. The government should also buy the farmers' produce at appropriate price."

He blasted the government's crop insurance scheme.

"This is not an insurance scheme but it is BJP's 'kisan daka yojna' (plunder farmers scheme). This must go and the money paid by farmers be returned. Instead, the government should start a compensation scheme for farmers."

The Modi government was worried more about Ambanis and Adanis, he alleged.

"If you can't worry for farmers, go and take votes from Ambanis and Adanis. Don't go to the farmers seeking their vote," he said.

 
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