BJP govt committed to changing farmers’ fortunes: Nadda

The BJP chief speaks of measures by the party – from the surgical strike across the border to steps like Ayushman, free insurance schemes, houses, toilets, free rations – and says the Modi government ensured that the country is safe and the poor are well looked after.

LAKHIMPUR KHERI Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief JP Nadda on Monday campaigned in Lakhimpur Kheri, marketing big-ticket schemes of the “double engine” BJP governments in a region which had become a political hot potato since the October 3 incident in which Ashish Mishra, son of country’s junior home minister Ajay Mishra ‘Teni’, the Lok Sabha MP here, was arrested for allegedly mowing down farmers who were protesting against the farm laws.

BJP national president JP Nadda addressing a public meeting in Kheri on Monday. (ANI Photo)

Those three farm laws have since been rolled back and Ashish’s bail order too has been issued, providing much relief to the BJP, which had been under attack from the opposition that has been seeking the dismissal of country’s junior home minister. On his part, the union minister has consistently maintained his and his son’s innocence in the case.

Nadda referred to farmers as ‘kisan bhai’, stating that the BJP government was committed to changing their fortunes.

“We are here to help change the fate of ‘gareeb (poor), ‘vanchit (marginalised), ‘peedit (oppressed)’, shoshit (exploited)’, ‘mahila shakti (women power)’, ‘yuva shakti (youth power), ‘kisan bhai (farmer brothers)’. And we aren’t saying this just like that. We have proved that we deliver on our promises,” the BJP chief said.

Nadda spoke of a series of BJP measures – from the surgical strike and air strikes across the border to a host of steps like Ayushman, free insurance schemes, houses, toilets, free rations – and said the Modi government ensured that the country was safe and the poor were well looked after.

He accused the Samajwadi Party of corruption and flagged Prime Minister Narendra Modi government’s decision to scrap triple talaq (instant divorce law) as a bold step, aimed at saving Muslim women from exploitation.

“None of the Muslim countries like Pakistan, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Iran and Iraq had this practice of triple talaq, which was only practiced in India. None of the political parties had the courage to scrap it, but it was Prime Minister Narendra Modi who chose to do so,” said Nadda.

Nadda also spoke of how Lakhimpur benefitted through “the double engine BJP government.”

“Of the 46 lakh houses for the poor in UP, a lakh have been built in Lakhimpur Kheri. The district has also got 2 lakh free toilets while work on an upcoming ITI is underway, there is a demand for an inter college in Mailani and a girls’ inter college in Dhaurahra. I am bound by the model code of conduct, but rest assured, our government is aware of your needs,” he added.

He also said that 296 km of roads have been sanctioned for the district along with five power substations.

The BJP chief slammed the Samajwadi Party as corrupt and said under Yogi Adityanath’s chief ministership, there had been no riots in UP.