New Delhi: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) president and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday said that if the central government fails to implement Swaminathan report by the end of its term, farmers would wreak havoc in 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
Addressing the farmers’ protest here, Kejriwal said, “The central government has given an affidavit in the Supreme Court that they cannot implement Swaminathan report. There could not be a bigger betrayal. Five months are left, I demand that the central government to implement Swaminathan report otherwise farmers will wreak havoc in 2019. This is the right of farmers. If farmers get the right value of their yield they would never come back to demand waiver of their loans.”
“Former prime minister Lal Bahadur Shastri gave the slogan of ‘Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan’ but it is very unfortunate that today the soldiers are being killed at borders and farmers are distressed at farmlands. It is very sad that farmers have to walk thousands of miles to come to Delhi to organise this protest. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government has failed to fulfil the promises they made to farmers,” he added.
Speaking to media after his speech he said that it is a matter of shame for the Prime Minister Modi government that the farmers are committing suicide throughout the country. “I want to appeal to Prime Minister Modi to waive the loan of farmers, ensure right price for their crops and provide compensation for the crops that get destroyed. If Prime Minister Modi shows even 10 percent of concern for farmers, which he has for Ambani-Adani, then the problems of farmers will be solved.”
More than one lakh farmers, belonging to 200 organisations marched in the national capital on Friday to push for their demands including implementation of the MS Swaminathan Committee report, farm loan waiver and better Minimum Support Price (MSP) for their agricultural produce. The rally was organised by the All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee (AIKSCC).
Opposition leaders including Congress president Rahul Gandhi, Communist Party of India (Marxist) general secretary Sitaram Yechury, former chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir and National Conference (NC) president Farooq Abdullah, veteran leader Sharad Yadav were also present in the protest rally.
[source_without_link]ANI[/source_without_link]