Harsimrat Kaur Badal of Akali Dal today attacked the government over the question of farmers. She is a former minister in the cabinet of Narendra Modi. She said alleging that the Prime Minister had labeled them “parasites”. She also blamed the system of punishing reporters for their reporting of the protest.
Farmers brave the cold at the Delhi borders, but “eyes and ears are closed” by the government, she said in Lok Sabha. Ms. Kaur was participating in the debating on the motion to thank the President’s speech to the Parliament’s joint session at the beginning of the budget session.
“On Constitution Day (November 26), lathis and tear gas rained on unarmed farmers”. Harsimrat said.
More Statements By Harsimrat:
“Farmers don’t grow AK-47s. They have been maligned and slammed by the government in every way possible. When PM Modi was a Chief Minister, he wanted to secure farmers with MSP, but now he has taken a 360-degree turn! And no words for them in Mann Ki Baat or from Rashtrapati Bhavan even after 150 farmers’ deaths,” Harsimrat added.
“The Prime Minister called the farmers ‘parjeevi’ meaning parasites. Whom did the PM call parasites? The ‘annadatas’ — the farmers who put food on the table,” she said. Kaur was holding up photographs of farmers during her accusations. Photographs of the farmers who died at the Delhi border because their protest began on November 26.
“When somebody writes the truth, you jail them”. Harsimrat said along with showing the photograph of various journalists.
Later she turned the debate by holding up the photograph of labor activist Naudeep Kaur. She said, “And then this girl, You talk about the empowerment of Dalits while this girl was brutalized,” she said, talking about the 23-year-old whose arrest more than 20 days ago. Her detention in police custody with no bail has drawn attention from all over the world.
In a tweetstorm later, the government was fiercely criticized by Ms. Badal. Her party left the cabinet of government and the NDA last year just after the farmers’ protests started.
Harsimrat further tweeted more about the issue. Another tweet reads, “See the arrogance of BJP-led Centre. It vilified farmers as bicholiya, Naxals & Khalistanis & refused to despatch any minister to seek their welfare. State following the policy of repression against agitating youth, social activists & journalists.”
