Kejriwal tears copies of farm laws, tells Centre 'don't be worse than the British'

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday (December 17) attacked the Centre saying the farm laws have been made to ensure poll funding for the BJP and not for the benefit of the farmers. Kejriwal made this statement at the one-day session of the Delhi Assembly.

The Delhi Chief Minister tore copies of the three farm laws during the House proceedings to protest against the controversial agricultural legislations. The assembly had passed a resolution, presided by revenue minister Kailash Gahlot, demanding the immediate repeal of the farm laws by the Centre.

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“What was the hurry to get the farm bills passed in Parliament during the pandemic? It has happened for the first time that three laws were passed without voting in Rajya Sabha, even when several members were opposing the move… In the last 6-7 years, the BJP has made elections so expensive. So, much of money is spent on elections (by political parties). These laws have not been passed for the farmers. These laws have been made to ensure election funding for the BJP,” Kejriwal said.

Calling every protesting farmer ‘a Bhagat Singh,’ Kejriwal questioned the Centre’s stance on their protest.

“How many sacrifices will the farmers have to make to get their voices heard? Today, the Delhi Assembly rejects all the three farm laws and appeals to the Central government to take back the legislations. I request the Centre not to be worse than the British.”

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Kejriwal then took a swipe at the BJP and questioned its leadership on the logic of the farm laws. “They (the BJP) have taught just one line to all their party leaders that the farmers will be able to sell their produce anywhere across the country. At least tell them where should the farmers sell? Big businessmen will buy produce at throwaway prices from farmers and sell it at high-rates in retail across the country, which will lead to inflation. It is being said that the farmers are being misguided. Farmers are not being misguided. It is the BJP leaders and supporters who are being misguided.”

Kejriwal also questioned if the agricultural legislations will at all benefit the farmers. “As part of BJP’s campaign to convince farmers, Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath told farmers that these laws will benefit them as their land will not be taken away from them. How is that a benefit? The farmers already had their land. He said, mandis will not be finished. Again, how is that a benefit as that system already exists?”