Farmers' Protests: How are the farm laws anti-farmer, Karnataka BJP asks Congress

The BJP on Wednesday hit back at the Congress for staging a protest against the farm laws in Bengaluru and other parts of Karnataka, accusing the grand old party of having ‘double standards’ and misleading farmers.

“The farm laws aim to prevent farmers from throwing their yield on the streets and make sure they get the right price at their doorsteps. How is this anti-farmer,” BJP national general secretary CT Ravi asked in a slew of tweets attacking the Congress.

Ravi said contract farming has been given constitutionally-valid legal strength and farmers will be paid for the produce purchased from them within three days. “Is this anti-farmer, or is it anti-middleman for keeping farmers waiting for years on end?”

According to Ravi, farmers in the Congress-ruled Punjab benefited from ‘contract farming’ for years. “When the same system is being extended to the entire country, why is the Congress protesting? If this helps farmers there, won’t it help them everywhere,” he asked.

Targeting Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Siddaramaiah, Ravi pointed out positions they had taken in the past. “Rahul Gandhi had said in Parliament that farmers should be given an open market so that they’re stopped from being exploited by APMCs. He cited the examples of tomato and potato. Why is he opposing this now?”

Turning to Siddaramaiah, Ravi said the former chief minister had written a letter on the problems being faced by farmers under the APMC system. “But now, why is he opposing laws that seek to address problems that he had pontificated himself?” he said.

The former BJP minister said the Congress’ 2019 election manifesto promised to change the APMC system by providing farmers with an open market. “Congressmen, why this duality?”

While the Congress protested, the BJP Karnataka Twitter handle made a barrage of tweets busting the “myths” around the farm laws.

Revenue Minister R Ashoka told reporters that Siddaramaiah and KPCC president DK Shivakumar were “unemployed”, adding that the party had become a “laughing stock”. “They have nothing to speak against PM Modi. So, they’re making use of this,” he said.