BJP hopeful of early resolution of farm agitation: Shahnawaz Hussain

Shahnawaz Hussain expressed hope of an early resolution to the ongoing farm agitation against the recently introduced agricultural laws in the country and said his party has full sympathy with the agitating peasantry.

Jammu: Senior BJP leader and former Union minister Shahnawaz Hussain on Sunday expressed hope of an early resolution to the ongoing farm agitation against the recently introduced agricultural laws in the country and said his party has full sympathy with the agitating peasantry.

He, however, claimed the farmers are being “misled” by some vested interests.

The farmers have been protesting at different borders of the national capital against the three recently enacted agricultural laws that the government has been saying will give farmers more freedom and avenues to sell their produce and raise their income.

Speaking to mediapersons here, the BJP spokesperson said, “Several rounds of talks have been held with them (farmers) and we are hopeful that the issue will be resolved soon. We are living in a democracy and have not snatched the right of protest from anyone.”

He said the BJP government has full sympathy with the protesting farmers and is holding talks with them.

“The farmers are ours we are theirs. The way our government has worked for the benefits of the farmer over the past many years, no government had done,” he said.

“We are working to ensure doubling their income, and have initiated various schemes for their welfare and even transferred money into their accounts which had happened for the first time in the country,” he said.

Without identifying anyone, he said the BJP understands that the protesting farmers are being "misled" but "we will be able to convey the right message to them. Already several rounds of talks have been held with them".

Asked about Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau reiterating his baking to the agitating farmers, Hussain said the country should not have interfered in internal affairs of India.

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"The Congress itself is in trouble. The one who is in trouble should take care of themselves first,” he said, responding to a question that the Congress was suggesting BJP''s policies were “troubling” farmers.

“They have got 19 seats out of the 70 (they contested) in the recently held Bihar (Assembly) polls and had hardly got seats in the local elections in Hyderabad. The Congress is used to raising questions on every issue. They talked about demonetization and got the response from UP electorate during assembly elections at that time,” he said.

“It is the Congress which is in deep trouble and not the farmers. Do not take the party seriously as we are also not taking them seriously,” he said.

He said, “The Congress is as good as dead. It is against our culture to speak (about somebody dead). There is no internal democracy in the party and anyone speaking against it is shunted,” he said.

He said 23 Congress leaders including former J&K chief minister Ghulam Nabi Azad were sidelined for speaking out against the party leadership recently.

“Most of the Congress leaders are slaves of Sonia Gandhi, her son Rahul Gandhi and daughter Priyanka. Anyone who talks of internal democracy in the party is forced to shut up,” he said.

PTI