Modi speaks about farmers to hide pro-capitalist image: UP farmer

Mathura: Accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi of trying to hide his "pro-capitalist image" by speaking about farmers and the poor, ex-state chief of Kisaan Manch Shekhar Dixit, claimed that demonetisation has led to resurgence of private money lenders.

"In order to hide his pro-capitalist image Modi speaks about farmers and poor in public. By not allowing cooperative banks to exchange old notes, the Prime Minister has broken the backbone of the farmers since they use cooperative banks the most," Dixit claimed.

Demonetisation has led to resurgence of private money lenders, and for the first 50 days since note ban was declared, they exploited farmers, he alleged.

"The Centre claims that it has allotted Rs 6,000 crore for clearing arrears of sugarcane growers. However, the arrear has shot up to Rs 22,000 crore against Rs 17,000 crore, earlier," Dixit claimed and attributed reduction of area under sugarcane cultivation to the huge amount of arrear on farmers.

He also said the "silence" of the Prime Minister on the memorandum regarding the problem of farmers, submitted by Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi, is "baffling".

"Demonetisation has thrown crores out of job, while the Prime Minister earlier had promised job to two crore people every month," Dixit claimed.

"The attack on a General Engineering Reserve Force camp near LoC in Akhnoor sector of Jammu by militants shows that promises made by Modi, to tame terrorist and Naxal activities remains unfulfilled," he alleged.

To a question on the Centre's Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, Dixit alleged that the drive has now only limited to "photo opportunity".