In the light of an opposition assault on the issue of farm rule, Home Minister Amit Shah has today retaliated in Bengal, attacking the Mamata Banerjee government on its denial of central funds under the PM-Kisan scheme. The government of Ms Banerjee declined to enforce the system of direct cash payments to farmers.
“You are supporting the farmers’ protests, but your farmers are not receiving benefits. Farmers in the state didn’t receive money given by Modi ji,” Mr. Shah said in the media at the end of his two-day visit to the state.
Ms Banerjee, one of the staunchest opponents of the BJP-led government, has been vociferous about farm legislation, implying that the BJP should either revoke farm legislation or back down.
The President of the Trinamool Congress has consistently said that she shares the demands of the farmers. In a series of tweets, she also vowed to initiate national demonstrations if the laws were not withdrawn.
GOI would revoke its anti-farmer bills. If they do not do so immediately, we will agitate across the state and across the world. From the very beginning, we were clearly opposed to these anti-farmer proposals,” she said in one of the tweets. T
The BJP is now retaliating with West Bengal’s refusal to give farmers direct cash benefits. The state had demanded that the money-provided to every farmer 6,000 a year-be redirected through it. The centre had refused, saying that it would kill the spirit of transmitting direct benefits if money were diverted into state governments.
