New Delhi [India], January 3 (ANI): The tussle between the ruling Aam Aadmi Party and Bharatiya Janata Party ahead of Delhi assembly polls continued on Thursday with Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan accusing the AAP government of denying the benefits of central schemes to the farmers of the national capital and Arvind Kejriwal hitting back.
Chouhan, who had written a letter to Delhi Chief Minister Atishi, said the central government was ready to provide benefits of central schemes to the farmers, but the Delhi government had failed to meet the requirements.
“Farmers from Delhi had met me and stated that they are not getting the benefit of various central schemes. I have mentioned in my letter that the Central government is ready to give the benefit of the schemes to the farmers,” he said.
Chouhan said the Centre “had not received any proposals” from the Delhi government, which was the reason farmers in the capital could not take advantage of these schemes.
“Because proposals for schemes meant for farmers did not come from the Delhi government the farmers could not benefit… The central and state governments should work for the benefits of the farmers,” he added.
In his letter, Chouhan accused the AAP government in Delhi of blocking the Centre’s welfare schemes for farmers in Delhi and called their policies “anti-agriculture” and “anti-farmer.”
The Union Minister further stated that he had earlier raised the issue of Delhi’s farmers but the Delhi government didn’t “resolve the problems.”
“For the last 10 years, there is an AAP government in Delhi, but it has always seemed that the former Chief Minister Mr. Kejriwal has only cheated the farmer brothers and sisters and has taken political advantage of them by making big announcements before the elections. As soon as Mr. Kejriwal came to power, instead of taking public welfare decisions, he has always cried about himself,” Chouhan alleged in his letter.
“You talk about free electricity but the AAP government in Delhi has fixed high electricity rates for farmers. Farmers are currently being charged commercial rates for electricity in Delhi. Cheap electricity is necessary for irrigation and other agricultural activities, but in Delhi, farmers are being charged a huge amount for agricultural electricity. Your government has cut off the electricity connections of irrigation equipment in the villages along the Yamuna, due to which they are facing a lot of difficulty in irrigation work. The crops of the farmers are drying up and their livelihood is also in danger,” he added.
Atishi launched a counter-attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party government, saying that the condition of farmers has never been “as bad as” it was during BJP’s rule.
“BJP talking about farmers is like Dawood preaching on non-violence. The condition of farmers has never been as bad as it was during BJP’s rule. Farmers in Punjab are on hunger strike, tell Modi ji to talk to them. Stop doing politics on farmers’ issues. Bullets and lathis were fired on farmers during BJP rule.”
Kejriwal, a former Delhi Chief Minister, hit out at the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre over the ongoing farmers’ protest, accusing it of reneging on promises made to the farmers three years back.
“Farmers in Punjab have been staging sit-ins and indefinite hunger strikes for several days. Their demands are the same ones that the central government agreed to three years ago but has yet to implement. The BJP government has now reneged on its promises. The BJP isn’t even talking to the farmers. Engage with them–they are our country’s farmers. Why is the BJP so arrogant that it refuses to have a conversation?” Kejriwal said in a post on X.
“The farmers in Punjab who are on indefinite hunger strikes–may God keep them safe. But if anything happens to them, the BJP will be held responsible,” he added.
He further claimed that the three farm laws that the Centre repealed three years ago due to the farmers’ agitation are being prepared for re-implementation through the back door, under the guise of a “policy.”.
“For the information of farmers across the country, let me clarify that the three black laws that the Centre repealed three years ago due to the farmers’ agitation are being prepared for re-implementation through the back door, under the guise of a “policy.” A copy of this policy has been sent to all states for their feedback,” he claimed in his post.
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MP Sanjay Singh accused Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan of “spreading lies” and making “ridiculous allegations.”
“The state president of the “Bharatiya Jhootha Party” and his Union Agriculture Minister have tried to spread some more lies since morning. BJP leaders from national to state level leaders should listen, we will not let the vote of any Purvanchalis get cut. When we have exposed you, you are making ridiculous allegations.”
“BJP leaders applied to get the votes of our Purvanchalis brothers cut by calling them Bangladeshis and Rohingyas. In Shahdara, Tughlakabad, Palam, Rajouri Garden, Harinagar, Karawal Nagar, every BJP person applied to get the votes of hundreds of thousands of people cut,” he alleged.
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said that the Central government should open channels for talks with farmers.
“I say to the Central government that it should open channels for talks (with farmers)…We have deputed doctors there (at the farmers’ protest site). We are committed to ensuring his (Farmer leader Dallewal) health is not compromised,” Mann said.
Congress leader SS Randhawa criticized the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), calling it the “B-team” of the BJP.
He questioned Madhya Pradesh CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan’s decision to write to the Delhi government, suggesting he should have addressed the governments of Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Rajasthan instead, as they have a larger number of farmers.
Randhawa also criticized Arvind Kejriwal for not visiting Punjab’s farmers, who he believes are fighting for the rights of farmers across India.
“AAP is the B-team of BJP. If Shivraj Singh Chouhan had to write a letter, he should have written to the governments of Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan because there are a large number of farmers here. How many farmers are there in Delhi?.. Why has Kejriwal not gone to the farmers of Punjab till date? The farmers of Punjab are fighting the battle of the farmers of India and there is no politics in it..,” he said.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit newly constructed flats for the dwellers of Jhuggi Jhopri clusters under the in-situ slum rehabilitation project at swabhiman apartments, in Delhi’s Ashok Vihar on Thursday.
Prime Minister will inaugurate the 1,675 newly constructed flats for the dwellers of JJ clusters and also hand over keys to eligible beneficiaries at Swabhiman Apartments.
He will inaugurate two urban redevelopment projects – the World Trade Centre at Nauroji Nagar and GPRA Type-II Quarters at Sarojini Nagar. PM Modi will also inaugurate CBSE’s Integrated Office Complex at Dwarka and lay foundation stone of Veer Savarkar College at Roshanpura, Najafgarh.
In another attack on Kejriwal, BJP on Thursday released a poster titled “Farzi Voters Se Ishq Hai”
The BJP accused Kejriwal and other AAP leaders of orchestrating voter fraud in Delhi ahead of the upcoming assembly elections
The poster, which also carried the tagline “Voter List Me Scam 2024” was unveiled by Delhi BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva during a press conference in the national capital.
Elections are expected to be announced in Delhi in the next few days. (ANI)
Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed of ANI; only the image & headline may have been reworked by News Services Division of World News Network Inc Ltd and Palghar News and Pune News and World News
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