Oppn 'propaganda', Covid-19 hampered efforts to talk with farmers, say some BJP leaders

The benefits of the new farm laws could have been better communicated by the BJP to farmers if some parties had not opposed the legislation for the sake of opposing the government, feel some BJP leaders from Punjab and Haryana.

The party was engaged in countering the "propaganda" by the opposition which played petty politics, suggested BJP leader from Punjab Surjit Kumar Jayani.

Jayani was in-charge of the BJP's eight-member panel for talking to farmers in Punjab and had been a cabinet minister in the state government.

"Everyone in the BJP is with farmers. The Modi government brought these laws for the welfare and betterment of farmers. But at times you attempt to do something good, people perceive it in another way. We got stuck in countering the opposition parties on these laws. Otherwise, we could have communicated better with farmers," Jayani told PTI.

Farmers' protest live updates on DH

Whenever something new is done, it is unlikely that it will be welcomed immediately, he said, adding that to increase farmers' income, reforms are required in the agriculture sector.

Jayani hoped that a solution would emerge from the talks between the government and the farmers.

After five rounds of talks failed to end the logjam, the Centre and farmer unions are set to meet again on December 9.

Echoing similar sentiments, the BJP MP from Hisar, Brijendra Singh, said the only solution is dialogue and felt that the Covid-19 pandemic hampered efforts to reach out to the farmers.

There has to be a middle ground and "the government has been very accommodative in its negotiations with farmers", he said.

"The party could have communicated in a better way on these farm laws to all stakeholders in the agriculture sector including farmers. But it happened amid the Covid-19 pandemic," Singh said.

However, he asserted that the agriculture sector in the country is in dire need of reforms and these laws are in the right direction.

Singh, who took voluntary retirement from civil services, has held posts of Managing Director of Hafed and Director General of Agriculture department in Haryana.