SUSPENDED SAMAJWADI Party MP and Jan Morcha Alliance (JMA) convenor Raj Babbar on Tuesday assailed the State Government for letting loose a reign of terror against farmers at Dadri in Ghaziabad.
He criticised the government for acquiring prime land of farmers at a throwaway price in order to give it to the Reliance power project. Babbar said former Prime Minister VP Singh had tried to mediate between farmers and Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav before launching the agitation.
He also said Yadav was more interested in keeping the old guard of RSS happy by doling out Rs 500 as Emergency pension, than in protecting the farmers.
Without naming SP general secretary Amar Singh, the JMA leader attacked him for “lobbying for corporate houses”. Pointing out that Singh had suddenly disappeared from UP, Babbar said had he been a politician, the chief minister would have required his services. Babbar said Yadav had now sought the support of those leaders who had become redundant.
He also said the JMA was in touch with Rashtriya Lok Dal president Chaudhary Ajit Singh. Babbar said some SP allies did not want to join the JMA at the moment, as they could face action the way he was facing. Babbar also said the Morcha was open to an alliance with the Congress, the CPM or the RLD. He said the Congress, instead of boasting of being a big party, should see the ground realities in UP. He said the chief minister, who had attacked VP Singh at the Dahiya Trust on Monday, should come clean on his assets. He wanted to know why Yadav had appealed to the Supreme Court to keep his affidavit about his assets secret.
{{/usCountry}}He also said the JMA was in touch with Rashtriya Lok Dal president Chaudhary Ajit Singh. Babbar said some SP allies did not want to join the JMA at the moment, as they could face action the way he was facing. Babbar also said the Morcha was open to an alliance with the Congress, the CPM or the RLD. He said the Congress, instead of boasting of being a big party, should see the ground realities in UP. He said the chief minister, who had attacked VP Singh at the Dahiya Trust on Monday, should come clean on his assets. He wanted to know why Yadav had appealed to the Supreme Court to keep his affidavit about his assets secret.
{{/usCountry}}Referring to the police action in villages around Dadri, he said people of all age groups had suffered police brutalities and even now they were not being allowed to move out of their villages for medical treatment.
The JMA has decided to send a team of doctors from Delhi to Dadri. He said NBA leader Medha Patkar, who sneaked into the village, had expressed serious concern over the prevailing situation.
He said the Morcha leaders would march to Dadri on August 15, along with VP Singh. The government has already banned VP Singh and Babbar’s entry into the village till August 8. Babbar said he was opposed to taking the issue to court, as it would take a long time to get justice. He said farmers had been paid Rs 130 to Rs 150 per square metre for the prime land.