BJP MP Says Protesters Not Farmers, Paid by 3 Chief Ministers

BJP MP Ramesh Bidhuri on Tuesday said that the protestors on Delhi borders were ‘not farmers’ and were ‘paid by three Chief ministers’ even as National Conference Farooq Abdullah said that three farm laws were not like religious scriptures that can’t be changed and urged centre to find a solution.

Opening the discussion in the Lok Sabha on the Motion of Thanks to the President’s address, Bidhuri said, “Those people (protestors) are leaders affiliated with the CPI and CPM.”

However, Bidhuri didn’t name the three CMs who he alleged were financing the protests. He added that Congress was ‘playing Shakuni’ with farmers to mislead them, a Times of India report said.

Meanwhile, Farooq Abdullah said, “I just want to make this request on the farmers’ issue. It is not a ‘Khudai kitaab’ (religious scripture) that we cannot make changes. But we have made law. If they (farmers) want it to be scrapped, why can’t you talk to them,” he said. “I would request you with folded hands that let us not stand on prestige… This is our nation. We belong to this nation and if we belong to this nation let us respect everybody in this nation,” Abdullah said, adding, “Come out with a solution.” He also urged the law minister to bring some law to stop such activities.

Abdullah also asserted that Lord Ram belongs to the whole world. “Ram belongs to all of us. The way Muslims have held on to the Quran, the Quran is not just ours.” He also accused NDA MPs of questioning the stature of political visionaries such as Jawaharlal Nehru and said that he feels really bad when he see that fingers are being pointed at India’s first prime minister, Sardar Patel, Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi and other leaders. “It is not Indian parampara. Respect those who have gone,” he stressed. On the recently-concluded District Development Council (DDC) polls, he said, these happened peacefully but now elected members were being purchased to force the members to vote for others.

While Ramesh Bidhuri found support in BJP’s Rita Bahuguna Joshi who said that farmers would benefit from an open market. Akhilesh Yadav said that UP was not purchasing crops are minimum support prices.

Taking a dig at PM Modi’ Andolanjivi remark against protestors, Akhilesh said, “What shall we call those who go around collecting money these days? Are you not chanda-jivi?”