BJP to launch 3-day sit-in for farmers' welfare in Bengal's Singur; puts forward 7 demands

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will launch a three-day sit-in protest in West Bengal's Hoogly district for the welfare of farmers. They will press for a seven-point charter of demands for farmers, including reduction of VAT on fuel and minimum support price (MSP) for farmers produce.

BJP spokesperson Samik Bhattacharya said that Singur has been finalised for the protest as it is the place where Trinamool Congress supremo and Mamata Banerjee, then opposition leader, had set in motion an anti-land acquisition movement 14 years against setting up of a car manufacturing plant.

He claimed, "She (Banerjee) has forgotten about the farmers after coming to power, and there has been no industrial growth in the state during her tenure." Bhattacharya also alleged that state police were not allowing BJP Kisan Morcha to build podiums and removed banners and posters in support of the demonstration.

"Our demands include the abolition of middle-men and fair-price for farmers' produce, besides lowering of power tariff," he said. It also includes a package for farmers who suffered losses due to unseasonal rains, making 'Kisan mandis' function in different blocks, Rs 20 lakh compensation to farmers who died due to mounting losses.

Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari (BJP) had tweeted, "Funds must be disbursed instantly to reduce the plight of the farmers. WB Govt hasn't even made efforts to meet families of the farmers who died by suicide lately."

Adhikari also met Governor Jagdeep Dhankar on Saturday along with several members of Kisan Morcha and handed over the list of demands to him.

TMC and BJP clash over 'Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana'

On August 9, after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced to transfer around Rs 19,500 crore to 10 crore farmers nationwide as the ninth instalment of the PM-Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana (PMKSNY), BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari alleged that farmers in the state are being deprived of the scheme by Centre due to CM Banerjee's objection to direct transfer to the beneficiaries.

In early August, the West Bengal government had stated that the Centre had excluded 9.5 lakh farmers of the 44.8 lakh beneficiaries of PMKSNY in the state. "It is a matter of concern as to why such a large number of beneficiaries from Bengal have been excluded from the scheme," an official from the West Bengal secretariat had stated.