'Oppn is protesting against farm laws only for the benefit of middlemen': FM Sitharaman

As the farmers continue to protest against the Centre's three contentious farm laws, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Friday accused the Opposition parties of spreading false propaganda about the laws and said that they were protesting only to benefit the 'middlemen'. While addressing the traders' cell of Tamil Nadu BJP, the Union Finance Minister said that those who were causing hindrance to the progress of the growth of Tamil Nadu earlier are now criticising Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government as well. 

Referring to the protests demanding the repeal of the farm bills, Nirmala Sitharaman asked, "How can one answer to a false propaganda that through the farmers' law because a farmer could lose his land?"

Nirmala Sitharaman slams Opp parties

Countering the repeated attack by DMK, the Finance Minister said, "We are not those who are standing as an obstacle in the progress of a state. Tamil Nadu should develop." Asserting that the state requires good governance, she said that despite the fact that the Centre has been executing various development projects for the welfare of the state there was not even one Parliamentarian representing Tamil Nadu in PM Modi's cabinet.

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Pointing towards the ambitious corridor project in the state, Sitharaman said that Uttar Pradesh was now looking at Tamil Nadu on how they can compete with it in the production of defence parts. "This is called healthy competition. When this happens, every state progresses. We are not doing any politics that pose an obstacle in the progress of a state," she added. 

Referring to the announcement made by the Prime Minister that the Centre has accepted the Devendrakula Vellalar community to be listed only by their collective, traditional name of "Devendrakula Vellalar" and not by the names of seven sub-sects, the Union Minister said that it was the BJP that gave prominent posts in the government to those belonging to all communities. "Which other party gave prominent posts in the government to those who were not belonging to any forward castes?" she asked. 

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Slamming the Opposition for indulging in "irresponsible politics", Sitharaman said that several BJP leaders such as former state unit chief L Ganesan visited every nook and corner of the state for the growth of the party. She said, "Even at that time (when the party was not in power) we did not forget the people of Tamil Nadu, even today (when we are in power) we did not forget the people of Tamil Nadu (in announcing development projects for the state).

The Minister further claimed the Opposition parties in the state were in a state of fear as they could not take on the AIADMK-BJP alliance in the state, where assembly elections are due in the next few months. 

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Tamil Nadu Assembly Elections 2021

The two warring factions in AIADMK - of Deputy CM O Pannerselvam (OPS) and CM E Palaniswamy (EPS), reconciled after the party named incumbent E Palaniswamy as its CM candidate and O Panneerselvam as the chief of the 11-member steering committee. With AIADMK announcing it will continue its national alliance with BJP, the saffron party is yet to officially announce its state-level alliance. Meanwhile, ex-CM Karunanidhi's successor - DMK chief MK Stalin eyes his maiden CM term as DMK cannot afford to lose a third straight Assembly election after sweeping the state in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls with 38 seats.

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