To Bolster Anti-Modi Campaign, Kejriwal Meets Farmers At Singhu Border After Issuing Gazette Notification

BJP and Congress have attacked the AAP for its support to farmers agitation while notifying the farm law.

Image tweeted by @ArvindKejriwal

Farmers' Protest: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday met the protesting farmers at the Delhi-Haryana Singhu border days after being criticized by the BJP for his ‘self-contradictory’ move of supporting the protests even as he quietly issued a notification for one of the contentious laws. Kejriwal and his party have openly expressed their solidarity with the protests being held by the farmers against the three agrarian laws passed by the centre and have been critical of the legislations enacted by the Centre, however, the Delhi government has already notified one of these controversial laws. As Kejriwal became vocal in his criticism of the laws, the Bharatiya Janata Party was quick to identify what it may refer to as opportunistic activism and launched a tirade against the Delhi Chief Minister. Last week, BJP’s Manoj Tiwari and media department head Naveen Kumar took potshots at Kejriwal  as they shared  the screenshots of the notification pushed by the Delhi government. One of the farm laws already notified in November: The Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Ordinance, 2020 was notified on November 23, said a senior Delhi government official, while the government is examining the remaining two. The ruling AAP said the notification allows farmers to sell their crop anywhere, including outside mandis. Selling of fruits and vegetables was already de-regulated in Delhi many years ago; now this holds for grains too, it said. Kejriwal’s support to farmers now under question: The party has openly supported the farmers demands to scrap the laws.  The demands of the farmers are clear that they want a complete rollback of the laws and not mere amendments. Kejriwal government while joining the chorus of the farmers, notified one of the laws. BJP and Congress attacked the AAP for its support to farmers agitation while notifying the farm law. "The notification exposes duplicacy of AAP and the Kejriwal government. They want to share the benefits of the new farm laws while misguiding the farmers," charged BJP MP and former Delhi unit president Manoj Tiwari.

अरे मुख्यमंत्री @ArvindKejriwal जी आपने #FarmersBill2020 दिल्ली में 23 November को लागू कर दिया तो ये बता तो दो सबको..झूठे ही आपके MLA भाग दौड़ कर रहें है. #ISupportFarmerBill pic.twitter.com/xjiv6CZEP4

— Manoj Tiwari (@ManojTiwariMP) November 30, 2020

On Monday, Kejriwal visited the protesting farmers at Singhu border and said he is visiting them as a 'sevadar' not as a chief minister. He also extended support to the farmers' 'Bharat Bandh' call and assured that his party workers and supporters would participate in the 'peaceful' protest. “Farmers who work hard for us day and night and grow food for us, are fighting for their rights today. In such a situation, it is our duty to support and serve them. Visited the movement site and took stock of other arrangements like food and medical. Farmer brothers should not face any problem,” he said in a tweet.

दिन-रात मेहनत कर हमारे लिए अन्न उगाने वाले किसान भाई आज अपने हक़ की लड़ाई लड़ रहे हैं। ऐसे में हम सबका फ़र्ज़ बनता है कि हम उनका साथ दें और उनकी सेवा करें

आंदोलन स्थल पर जाकर रसोई और मेडिकल जैसी अन्य व्यवस्थाओं का जायज़ा लिया। किसान भाइयों को किसी चीज़ की दिक्कत नहीं होनी चाहिए। pic.twitter.com/g5L43fdkGi — Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) December 7, 2020

The Chief Minister mentioned how he rejected the Central government's offer to provide them nine Delhi stadiums to turn them into makeshift jails so that the farmers could be put there. Farmer representatives from around 40 unions have announced a "peaceful Bharat Bandh" on December 8.