Bengal BJP’s top guns counter TMC’s offensive on farms bills
A day after the ruling Trinamool Congress’ farmers’ wing hit the streets in protest against the contentious farm bills, Bharatiya Janata Party’s top guns in West Bengal launched a counter offensive against the TMC with a series of public meetings on Saturday.
On Friday, members of the Kisaan Khet Mazdoor, affiliated to the TMC, took out protest rallies across the state. A sit-in demonstration was also held in central Kolkata. The Left Front and Congress also took out a joint rally.
On Saturday, some senior leaders of the BJP’s Bengal unit including Mukul Roy, national executive member, Sayantan Basu, state general secretary, Locket Chatterjee, BJP MP and Biswapriyo Roy Chowdhury, state vice president among others, held meetings in the districts to clarify on the alleged misgivings on the three farm bills passed by Parliament.
“The TMC is spreading all lies. The bills will allow the farmers to sell their products wherever they want and to any person they wish. The TMC, however, doesn’t want this. This is because TMC backed middlemen buy the products from farmers and sell them at exorbitant rates in the cities. The farmers get nothing,” said Sayantan Basu, who held a meeting at Siliguri in north Bengal.
West Bengal chief minister and Trinamool Congress (TMC) helmswoman Mamata Banerjee had earlier condemned the bills and said that the bills would lead to an epidemic comparable to the Bengal famine of 1943 which claimed more than two million lives.
Also Read: Dropped in reshuffle, Bengal BJP leader Rahul Sinha says defectors from TMC favoured
The three bills passed by Parliament are the Farmer’s Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020, the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill, 2020 and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill, 2020.
The Centre has asserted that the proposed laws will be beneficial for farmers and increase their income.
The Left Front and the Congress had earlier sent a letter to Mamata Banerjee urging her to convene a special session of the state assembly soon to discuss the “anti-worker and anti- farmer” bills.
The BJP meanwhile has launched a massive campaign on the social networking and micro-blogging sites to spread awareness on the bills and bust the alleged propaganda of the ruling TMC.
Less time to read?
Try Quickreads
-
18-year-old girl dies by suicide after brother scolds her in Dombivli
An 18-year-old girl died by suicide in Dombivli after her brother removed the SIM card from her mobile and scolded her for using it often and not listening to her parents. The incident occurred at Shelar Naka area of Dombivli on Thursday evening. The police informed that her 22-year-old brother used to scold her often for the past few months as she was glued to the phone day and night.
-
3 arrested for robbing Railway officer at knifepoint in Kalyan
A railway officer attached to Bandra office was looted by three people who threatened The officer, Chandrakant Karande, 40 at knifepoint at Kalyan railway station at 2am on Thursday. The Kalyan Government Railway Police arrested the accused and recovered the mobile and cash. The three arrested are identified as Rahul Pawar, Rahul Horole and Datta Mandalik, all in the 20-25 years age group.
-
Worli fishers warn BMC, say will disrupt construction of Coastal Road-Sea Link interchange
Mumbai Protesting fisherfolk from Worli Koliwada have cautioned the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation that they will continue to disrupt the construction of an interchange between the Coastal Road and the Bandra-Worli Sea Link, as the civic body has refused to accept its demands for a redesign.
-
Motorists on Sion-Panvel Highway stuck for hours as dumper goes off road on Vashi bridge
Thousands of motorists were stuck on the Mumbai and Pune lanes of the Sion-Panvel Highway in Navi Mumbai for hours after a dumper carrying rubble climbed on the divider of Vashi bridge on Friday morning. The highway experienced a six-hour long traffic jam which was cleared only by afternoon. The traffic jam was reportedly right from Nerul to Vashi flyover. A Nerul resident, Jovita D'Souza, faced a similar problem.
-
Mandir-masjid issues being raked up for 2024 elections: Saamana
Mumbai Shiv Sena mouthpiece Saamana said on Friday that as the 2024 general elections were nearing, the issues around temples and mosques were being raked up. Cautioning the political class, the editorial said that such communal tension can lead to a Sri Lanka-like situation in the country. The editorial further claimed that the issue of Eidgah in Mathura and Gyanvapi mosque in Varanasi should be resolved without any riots or communal tension.
