New Delhi: Rakesh Tikait, the national spokesperson and farmer leader of the Bharatiya Kisan Union, held a meeting with West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee recently. As per reports, the farmer leader said that in the meeting there was a discussion regarding farming in Bengal and the state's agriculture policy. Tikait said he suggested Banerjee to make West Bengal a model state for the rest to emulate. Banerjee handed the farmer leader a list of all the schemes that state has implemented for the welfare of farmers.
Tikait said that Banerjee is keen on holding a pan India meet for farmers similar to Uttar Pradesh organizing a farmer meeting with officials monthly, including the Kisan Diwas. According to Tikait, Banerjee said the practice is in place in Uttar Pradesh since 12 years and such meetings would be beneficial to resolve farmers' issues.
Read: Armed by farmers' protest, Mamata Banerjee sets her anti-Modi agenda
When Tikait was questioned about peasant leaders in Uttar Pradesh revolting against the BJP, he said, "If people ask for our suggestion during the election campaign, we will tell them that the BJP has sold the country. We will talk about the electricity charges in Uttar Pradesh, which is very high and the rates of sugarcane." He said potato and sugarcane farmers in the state have been badly hit. Regarding the announcement of the Central government's announcement to increase the Minimum Support Prices (MSPs) for all mandated Kharif crops for marketing season 2021-22, the BKU leader said that the government has announced the increase in the MSPs but the problem lies in the procurement of crops.
On being questioned about the farmers' plans for the upcoming elections in Uttar Pradesh, Tikait said that plans are on to hold a big Mahapanchayat in Muzaffarnagar of Uttar Pradesh post the monsoon season. He said the Uttar Pradesh Mission would begin with farmer leaders holding meetings from village to village.
Regarding Banerjee, Tikait said she has been standing with the farmers in the struggle and that she wanted all the three agricultural laws enacted by the central government to be withdrawn, adding that she had also written to the Centre about it.
Read: Centre wants to shift farmers' agitation to Jind in Haryana: Rakesh Tikait
