PM reassures farmers on new laws, says Opposition spearheading misinformation campaign

The attack comes when thousands of farmers are gathered at the entry points of the national capital, seeking the repeal of the three laws, which Modi called “historic”.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses a rally.  (File Photo | PTI)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses a rally. (File Photo | PTI)

LUCKNOW: Reassuring the farmers of the benefits of newly enacted farm laws, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday fired a salvo at the opposition saying they were misguiding the farmers by spreading lies and canards in the name of baseless lurking threats to their interests.

The PM was addressing a gathering at Khajoori area of Varanasi during a visit to his Parliamentary constituency on Monday to take part in Dev Deepawali celebrations on the banks of river Ganga where 15 lakh earthen lamps were illuminated to mark the occasion.

"New laws have been brought to realise the promises we made to the farmers of our country. The policies are being framed not to deceive the farmers but it is being done with utmost honesty and transparency," said the PM.

The PM said the previous governments had deceived the farmers for decades through various subsidies the benefit of which never reached them. "I feel the farmers should not be blamed for the agitation over new farm laws. It is natural for them to be suspicious as they have suffered deception for decades in the past. But today we are working with intent for their cause as pure as river Ganga and as holy as Kashi," said the PM.

Keeping the focus of his address pinned on new farm reforms, PM asserted that the opposition was spearheading a misinformation campaign against reforms to misguide farmers and push them to path of agitation.

"On the contrary, the new laws will empower the farmers giving them more options, legal protection and freedom to sell their produce at rates of their choice," he claimed, adding that those who wanted to follow the old system could do so as there had been no change in it in the new reforms.

"Today those farmers who have doubts over new farm laws, will also reap their benefit in future," maintained the PM.

Elaborating further on the intent of the forces behind the protests, the PM said: "There is a new trend now. Earlier, the decisions of govt were opposed. Now canards have become the basis for opposition. When false propaganda is spread against the right decision, it can lead to consequences detrimental to the interests of the people. They create fears about things that haven't happened or will never happen. Same is with the farm laws."

The Prime Minister cited the example of loan waiver which, he said, was a trick as profitability was denied to farmers and ensured to middlemen. He also mentioned how the opposition negated Kisan Samman Nidhi schemes and had spread lies about it during the 2019 general elections to the extent that farmers of one state had even refused to accept three installments of Rs 2,000 per year.

He reminded the farmers that the promise of giving 1.5 times more MSP as per the Swaminathan Commission was fulfilled. Mod further said that farmers were being empowered by giving them options for a bigger market.

Later while speaking at Rajghat, the Prime Minister paid tributes to all those who had laid their lives for the nation. “The nation is giving a befitting reply to the expansionist forces, those trying to infiltrate into India and those trying to break India,” said the PM.

He also mentioned that the idol of Goddess Annapurna, stolen over 100 years ago, was now on its way back to Kashi. “It is a matter of great fortune that 'Mata Annapurna' will come back to her original home. Statues of our deities are part of our priceless legacy,” said the PM.

He took a jibe on those who are in politics due to their familial history by saying that his government’s aim was to safeguard the cultural and spiritual legacy of the country unlike those who were more interested in protecting their familial legacy.

Earlier, the PM arrived in his parliamentary constituency where he inaugurated a number of infrastructure projects.  He dedicated to the nation the widened Handia (Prayagraj)-Rajatalab (Varanasi) section of National Highway 19. Later, he performed puja at Kashi Vishwanath temple and lit the first lamp to commence the celebrations of Dev Deepawali.

The Prime Minister patted the back of Yogi Adityanath saying the pace of infrastructure development had increased in the state since he became the CM in 2017.

Adityanath, who accompanied PM Modi to the public function at Khajuri, said, “Kashi is transforming while maintaining its antiquity for the last six years during which developmental schemes worth Rs 18,000 crore have either been inaugurated or under construction in the holy city.”

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