Farmers' Protest: Opposition tears into Centre, BJP appeals for peace

New Delhi [India], February 13 : As farmers in large numbers marched towards the national capital on Tuesday, the police fired tear gas on the protestors at the Punjab-Haryana Shambhu Border, leading to chaotic scenes at the site.
The protesting farmers were seen attempting to break the multi-layered barricades using their tractors and hand weapons. The Haryana police, meanwhile, detained several protesting farmers. The police deployed concrete slabs, iron nails, barricades, barbed wires, and police and paramilitary personnel at Kurukshetra in Haryana in view of the 'Delhi Chalo' march by the farmers.
To ensure law and order, Delhi police enforced Section 144, restricting the entry of tractor trolleys and large assemblies.
The Congress slammed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-ruled Centre stating that the "dictatorial Modi government" is hell-bent on curbing the voice of farmers!
"Barbed wire, tear gas from drones, nails and guns... everything is arranged. The dictatorial Modi government is trying to curb the voice of farmers! Do you remember that farmers were called "agitators" and "parasites"? In 10 years, the Modi government has broken three promises made to the food providers of the country -Farmers' income to double by 2022, according to Swaminathan report, implementation of Input Cost + 50 per cent MSP and legal status to MSP," he said.
"Now the time has come to raise the voice of 62 crore farmers. Today Congress party will raise the voice of "Kisan Nyay" in Ambikapur, Chhattisgarh. We provide full support to the farmers' movement. Will not be afraid, will not bow down!" he added.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, meanwhile, reacted to the protest, asserting that the party, if voted to power, will give a legal guarantee of Minimum Support Price (MSP) to every farmer as per the Swaminathan Commission.
In a post on X, Rahul said "Farmer brothers, today is a historic day! Congress has decided to give a legal guarantee of MSP to every farmer on crops as per the Swaminathan Commission. This step will change the lives of 15 crore farmer families by ensuring their prosperity. This is the first guarantee of Congress on the path of justice."
West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress (TMC) Chief Mamata Banerjee questioned how the country could progress if farmers fighting for their basic rights are being attacked.
"How can our country progress when the farmers are attacked with tear gas shells for fighting for their basic rights? I strongly condemn the brutal assault on our farmers by the BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party)," Banerjee said in a post on 'X'.
Condemning the central government, the Trinamool Congress supremo said that the BJP's failure to support farmers and labourers exposes their illusion of 'Viksit Bharat' (Developed India).
"The Central Government's failure to support farmers and labourers, coupled with futile PR stunts, exposes the illusion of 'Viksit Bharat.' Instead of suppressing their protest, BJP must focus on humbling their inflated egos, power-hungry ambitions, and inadequate governance that has harmed our nation," she said.
Expressing solidarity for the farmers' cause, Banerjee said that farmers sustain even the high and mighty.
"Remember, it's these farmers who sustain us all, including the high and mighty. Let's stand in solidarity with our farmers against the government's brutality," she said.
Meanwhile, Punjab Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee General Secretary Sarwan Singh Pandher said that it is the 'darkest' day in Indian history.
"This is a dark day in Indian history. Tear gas was used against the farmers... We are installing speakers here and will resume our program tomorrow morning," he said.
Farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal criticised the government, stating that the latter showed no seriousness to the commitment made towards the farmers.
"What we are saying is not a new demand. That was a commitment made to us by the government. We had tried to draw the attention of the government to those commitments again and again. But the government showed no seriousness to date," he said.
Farmer leader Rakesh Tikait on Tuesday said that demands for law on MSP, implementation of Swaminathan Committee report and debt waiver concern all farmers and they support farmers who have embarked on 'Delhi Chalo' protest over these issues.
"MSP guarantee law and Swaminathan Committee report, Electricity amendment bill and debt waiver are the issues of the farmers across the country. There are several farmer unions and they have different issues. If the government creates a problem for these farmers who are marching towards Delhi, we are not far from them. We are in support of them," Tikait told ANI.
The BJP, meanwhile, reacted to the protests and appealed to farmers to maintain peace.
"We constantly say, maintain peace and participate in the discussion. If PM Modi can save Naval officers from death sentence in Qatar and bring them safely to the country, then we can find a solution through talks...Nothing will be achieved by violence or vandalism, it will cause harm to the country, so please continue the talks. I appeal to maintain peace and request the farmer leaders to join the talks," Union Minister Anurag Thakur said.
Echoing a similar remark, former education minister and Bharatiya Janata Party leader Ramesh Pokhriyal said that every issue can be resolved by sitting and talking and the government has always been persistent and never lags behind in talking.
Pokhriyal told ANI that all the people are in support of this government, and those who are opposed should think about why they are wasting their time.
"If you look at the manner in which farmers have been protected under the leadership of Narendra Modi ji, for the first time after independence, farmers are getting such facilities. If we talk about Haridwar, the amount of Prime Minister Samman Nidhi given to more than 1 lakh and 34 thousand farmers have already gone into their accounts, amounting to Rs. 323 crore. Many schemes one after the other have been made in the interests of the farmers. I think this is a farmer-supported government," he said.
The farmers have put forth 12 demands before the central government for which they're marching to Delhi. The protest this time has been called by Sanyukt Kisan Morcha and Punjab Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee led by farmer union leaders Jagjeet Singh Dallewal and Sarwan Singh Pandher.
According to the protesting farmers, the centre promised them better crop prices, after which they ended the 2021 protest. They are demanding to enact a law guaranteeing a minimum support price (MSP) for all crops, as recommended by the Swaminathan Commission report.
They are also demanding a complete debt waiver and a scheme to provide pensions to farmers and farm labourers.
The farmers have also urged to scrap the Electricity Amendment Bill 2020 and are demanding to reintroduce the Land Acquisition Act of 2013, ensuring consent from farmers and compensation at 4 times the collector rate.
Further, they are demanding to punish those involved in the Lakhimpur Kheri killings.An appeal to provide 200 days of employment per year and a daily wage of Rs 700 under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, 2005 (MGNREGA), linking it with farming, has also been made by the farmers.
Also, they have demanded compensation to the families of farmers who died during the protests in 2021 and a job for any family member has been put in place.