BJP launches 3-day protest against TMC govt at Singur; demand reforms for farmers

The West Bengal BJP has launched a 3-day long protest against the CM Mamata Banerjee-led TMC government in Bengal at Singur in Hooghly district for 'alleged apathy towards the plight of farmers' in the state. BJP has called its campaign 'Krishi Bachao, Krishak Bachao' which means (Save Farmers, Save Agriculture).

During the protest on Tuesday, the BJP workers marched to Singur and began the sit-in demonstration at Gopalnagar village, a few kilometres away from the abandoned Tata car plant site. The workers were led by West Bengal state President Sukanta Majumdar and leader of the opposition and BJP MLA Suvendu Adhikari. 

According to Majumdar, farmers are dying in West Bengal, but the state administration has done nothing for their welfare. 

''The farmers are not getting a proper price for their crops. They are dying in Bengal, and the chief minister is busy doing political tourism in other states. We will hold a three-day agitation in Singur along the highway with peasants to bring the government's attention to the farmers' issues. If within 72 hours, the state government doesn't respond, we will escalate our protests further,'' Suvendhu Adhikari said.

The BJP has launched the protest, placing seven demands, which include a minimum support price for the produce, a package for farmers who have suffered heavy losses due to the unseasonal rains, the removal of VAT on fuel to give farmers some relief in operating irrigation pumps, driving tractors, and ferrying agri-produce, and making the Kisan Mandis functional in various blocks. 

''The TMC leaders have turned into ‘Crorepatis’ in the last ten years, and the farmers who helped them in coming to power have been left in the cold. Nothing has been done for the benefit of the farmers, even efforts were made to stop the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi. This is the true nature of TMC,'' he said.

BJP's national vice-president Dilip Ghosh claimed the TMC has done nothing to help farmers or bring companies to the state.

TMC retorts to BJP's campaign 

On the other hand, the TMC downplayed BJP's movement, claiming it was an attempt to deflect attention away from the saffron party's "imminent defeat" in the impending civic elections.

''Suvendu Adhikari and his family made their political careers based on the agitation by Mamata Banerjee in 2006-07. But now Suvendu is making tall claims. If he was so concerned about farmers, then why was he silent during the farmer's agitation against the farm laws, which the Centre later decided to withdraw last month?'' TMC state general secretary Kunal Ghosh asked.

The BJP has chosen Singur for protests, as it has a significant past. The Left Front government's coercive land acquisition there broke the foundations of the CPI(M)-led coalition's 34-year reign and catapulted Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress (TMC) to power in 2011.

(With PTI Inputs)