AAP Government Criticised for not Implementing Schemes for Delhi Farmers

New Delhi: In a major political face-off, Union agriculture minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan criticised the AAP government for not implementing the Centre’s schemes for the farm sector in Delhi. Chief minister Atishi hit back, saying that the condition of farmers has never been as bad as it is during the BJP’s reign. In a separate development, a Supreme Court bench pulled up the Punjab government officials and some farmer leaders for creating a false impression that attempts are being made to break farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal’s fast.

Mr Chouhan’s letter to Ms Atishi dated January 1 said: “Political competition should not become an obstacle to farmers’ welfare. Farmers’ welfare is the duty of all governments… The AAP government should rise above party politics and take decisions in the interest of farmers.”

In his letter, Mr Chouhan expressed concern over the condition of farmers in Delhi, saying the AAP-led government in the national capital is indifferent towards agriculturists.

Stating that “political competition” should not become an obstacle to the welfare of farmers, Mr Chouhan also attacked former chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, saying that the AAP supremo has always taken political advantage by making big announcements before elections.

“As soon as Mr Kejriwal came to power, instead of taking public welfare decisions, he cried about his own problems,” he added.

Pointing out that the AAP has been in power in the national capital for the last 10 years, Mr Chouhan said the state government has not implemented “the farmer-friendly schemes of the Central government in Delhi”.

“Due to non-implementation of the Centre’s agricultural schemes in Delhi, farmer brothers and sisters have not been able to avail the benefits of many schemes, including the establishment of nurseries and tissue culture, supply of planting material, construction of infrastructure for post-harvest management, new orchards, polyhouses and cold chain subsidy,” he said.

In her rebuttal, the Delhi chief minister said, “The BJP talking about farmers is like Dawood giving a sermon on non-violence… The condition of farmers has never been as bad as it is during the time of the BJP.”

The Delhi chief minister also asked the Union agriculture minister to talk to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to hold a discussion with farmers from Punjab who have been on a hunger strike to press for their demands, including a legal guarantee for the MSP for their crops.

“Stop doing politics with farmers,” Ms Atishi said, accusing the BJP of firing bullets on farmers and beating them up.

In a post on X, Mr Kejriwal said that the BJP-led government is “not even talking to the farmers” and claimed that the three farm laws that were scrapped would be brought back “through the backdoor”.

“Farmers in Punjab have been sitting on dharna and indefinite hunger strike for many days. Their demands are the same as those the Centre had accepted three years ago but has not implemented yet. The BJP government has now reneged on its promise. The BJP government is not even talking to the farmers. Talk to them. They are the farmers of our own country. Why is the BJP so arrogant that it does not even talk to anyone?” he asked.

The AAP chief said: “For the information of farmers across the country, let me tell you that the three black laws that were withdrawn by the Centre three years ago due to the farmers’ agitation, the Central government is preparing to implement them again through the backdoor by calling them 'policies'. The Centre has sent a copy of this policy to all the states to know their views."

In the Supreme Court, a bench of Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan on Thursday pulled up the Punjab government and said its officials and some farmer leaders are creating a false impression in the media that attempts are being made to break Mr Dallewal’s fast. The top court clarified that it is only concerned with his health and wants medical aid to be provided to him urgently.

Justice Kant said the court does not want to say much, but it appears that Punjab government officials and some farmer leaders are making irresponsible statements in the media to further complicate the situation on the ground. The top court observed: “We need to check the bona fides of some farmer leaders towards Mr Dallewal.”

Punjab advocate-general Gurminder Singh denied any such attempt to complicate the situation and said efforts are being made to persuade Mr Dallewal to take medical aid without breaking his fast.

The apex court said since the chief secretary and the director-general of police of Punjab are appearing virtually in the matter, hopefully the court’s message will go down the line. It asked both officials to file their affidavit indicating compliance with the December 20 order in which the court has directed the Punjab government to move Mr Dallewal to the nearby medical facilities created by the state.

While listing the matter for hearing on January 6, the top court also issued notice to the Centre on a fresh petition filed on behalf of Mr Dallewal seeking direction to the Union government to comply with the promises, including a legal guarantee of minimum support price on crops, made to the protesting farmers in 2021 after the farm laws were repealed.

The agitating farmer leaders, meanwhile, are all set to participate on Friday in a virtual meeting with the Supreme Court-appointed high-powered committee to end the deadlock over their demand for a legal guarantee for the MSP for their crops. They are also gearing up to hold a major “kisan mahapanchayat” on Saturday at the Khanauri border protest site in support of their demands.

Protesting farmers have been camping at Shambhu and Khanauri border points between Punjab and Haryana since February 13, 2024, after their march to Delhi was stopped by security forces. Besides MSP for crops, farmers have also been demanding a debt waiver, a pension, no hike in electricity tariffs, the withdrawal of police cases and “justice” for the victims of the 2021 Lakhimpur Kheri violence.

The Supreme Court had in September constituted an independent and neutral panel, headed by former judge Nawal Singh, to hold talks with protesting farmers to end the deadlock and address their problems. Other members of the panel are former Haryana DGP B.S. Sandhu, agri-expert Devinder Sharma, Prof. of Eminence at GNDU (Amritsar) Ranjit Singh Ghumman and Punjab Agricultural University (Ludhiana) agricultural economist Sukhpal Singh.