Farmers Unhappy In BJP Rule, Forced To Protest : Akhilesh Yadav

Bahraich (Uttar Pradesh) : Hitting out the BJP government at the Centre, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav accused it of trying to influence institutions and said farmers are forced to resort to agitation for measures to increase their income.

The former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister expressed solidarity with the protesting farmers over their demands. Some farmer organisations in Punjab had announced a 'Delhi chalo' protest demanding a law on MSP.

"Our party is a party of farmers, we stand with their demand. When it comes to the respect and rights of our farmer brothers, we stood with them earlier as well and will continue to do so," Yadav said here.

"People who had raised the slogan of 'Jai Kisan, Jai Jawan, Jai Vigyan', farmers are unhappy in their rule and are resorting to agitation for steps to increase their income. Unemployed are not getting jobs and if they are writing exams (for jobs), the papers are getting leaked," he added.

Akhilesh Yadav had earlier condemned the use of tear gas on protesting farmers at the Delhi-Haryana border and questioned the 'Amritkaal' under BJP rule.

To press the Centre to accept their demands, including a legal guarantee for minimum support price (MSP) for crops and farm debt waiver, the farmers have been camping at the Punjab-Haryana border since February 13.

During the last round of talks, which ended past midnight on February 18, the panel of three Union ministers had proposed buying five crops -- moong dal, urad dal, tur dal, maize and cotton -- from farmers at MSP for five years through central agencies. The government has said it is ready for further discussions with protesting farmers.