Take action against MoS Ajay Mishra: Varun Gandhi to Modi

He said that if the farm laws were repealed earlier, all these 'innocent lives' would not have been lost

A vociferous critic of the contentious farm laws, BJP MP Varun Gandhi on Saturday told Prime Minister Narendra Modi that many "innocent lives" could have been saved if the decision to repeal the controversial statutes was taken earlier and urged him to take "strict action" against Minister of State for Home Ajay Mishra for his alleged involvement in the Lakhimpur Kheri killings.

Seeking Rs 1 crore compensation for families of farmers who died during the year-long protest and immediate quashing of "politically motivated false FIRs" registered as "weapons of harassment" against them, he said the farmers were part of a "momentous movement" and they "peacefully protested in extremely difficult and hostile conditions". Claiming that over 700 farmers were "martyred" during the movement, he said that "if this decision had been taken earlier, all these innocent lives would not have been lost."

He also wanted the government to immediately accede to the demand for providing statutory guarantee for the Minimum Support Price as demanded by the farmers.

Read: After repeal of farm laws, clamour grows to withdraw UAPA, CAA and restore Article 370

In the one-page letter, which came a day after Modi's televised announcement on the decision to repeal the laws, Gandhi told the Prime Minister that his "respect shall further increase in the country" by accepting the remaining demands of the farmers. "Democracy runs on constitutionality, discourse and empathy. The farmers expect you to solve their problems in a sensitive and timely manner," he wrote.

The BJP MP from Uttar Pradesh's Pilibhit has been very vocal about farmers' issues and had made statements in the past putting his party on the backfoot. With a comment "wise words from a big-hearted leader", he even posted a 1980 video of A B Vajpayee warning the then government about the anger of farmers. He was also very vocal in sharing videos of Lakhimpur Kheri incident that appeared to nail the alleged involvement of Mishra and his son Ashish.

While thanking Modi for his "large-heartedness" in deciding to repeal the laws, Gandhi minced no words when he said "many leaders sitting in senior positions" made "provocative statements" against the farmers and it created an "adversarial atmosphere" around the farmers' movement leading to the killing of four farmers, who were ran over by a vehicle in Lakhimpur Kheri.

Becoming the first BJP leader to seek action against Mishra, he said, "it is my request to you that appropriately strict action is taken against the Union Minister (Mishra) who has been connected to this incident, so that there is a fair enquiry." Ashish was arrested in connection with the incident and the delay in his arrest was criticised by a large section of people.

On the demand for legal backing for MSP, he said 85 per cent of farmers are small and marginal small farmers and they should get remunerative prices for their crops.

"This movement will not end without the resolution of this demand and there will be widespread anger amongst them which will continue to emerge in one form or the other. Therefore, it is very important for the farmers to get the statutory guarantee of the MSP for their crops," Gandhi said adding that the MSP should be based on the C2+50 formula of the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices.

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