Jaipur: Rajasthan BJP president Satish Poonia on Friday said a majority of farmers support the centre’s innovative farm policies. He said the government is committed to farmers’ welfare and has hiked MSP by 1.5 times and the agriculture budget has risen to Rs 1.34 lakh crore from Rs 21,000 crore under the UPA.
Poonia termed the ongoing farmer protest as politically motivated and led by parties whose agenda is to oppose Modi because his policies have won hearts of people and increased India’s standing in the world.
Poonia was interacting with farmers at a farm in Maheshwas village in Amer, on the outskirts of Jaipur.
The interaction was part of BJP’s farmed outreach to dispel myths about the farm laws. The party held 1000 ‘kisan sammelans’ across the state on Friday.
Several BJP leaders including union ministers Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Kailash Choudhary, Arjun Ram Meghwal, state BJP president Satish Poonia, former chief minister Vasundhara Raje, state general secretary (organisation) Chandrashekhar, state joint general secretary organisation V Satish addressed the 'kisan sammelans' in different places.
Friday was the birth anniversary of late prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee which the government observed as good governance day. On the occasion, prime minister Narendra Modi interacted with farmers from six states and also released the next instalment of Rs 18,000 crore to 9 crore farmers under the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme.
Poonia who also listened to the PM’s address along with the farmers, praised the Modi government for its innovative schemes for farmers welfare and said the Rs 18,000 crore direct transfer benefit to 9 crore farmers was the first of its kind.
He attacked the Congress, saying, “Congress ruled for 45 years and if they were concerned about the welfare of farmers, they could have taken measures to help them which late Atal Bihari Vajpayee and prime minister Narendra Modi have taken,” he said.
Poonia also defended the three farm laws. He pointed out that the Congress party in 2019 spoke of dismantling the mandis and Congress governments in Haryana and Punjab had allowed contract farming.
The Modi government has made arrangements from availability of seeds to markets for farmers so they can move from conventional to progressive farming, he said.
Poonia said many small farmers are adopting innovative farming practices and are growing fruits and vegetables which have changed their fortunes.
