BJP MP Varun Gandhi on Saturday once again slammed the government for its flawed farm policy after a video of a farmer in Uttar Pradesh burning his paddy crop went viral. Lashing out at his own government, Varun said that a ‘rethink in farm policy was the biggest need of today.’
Sharing the video, Varun wrote, “Uttar Pradesh farmer Shri Samodh Singh has been desperately running from one mandi to the other to sell his paddy crop in the last 15 days. When he failed to sell his paddy, he himself decided to burn the crop. Where has this system brought our farmers to? A rethink in the farm policy is the biggest need of today.”
The farmer in the video is reportedly from Lakhimpur Kheri, which has been in the news recently for protests against the government. It was in Lakhim Kheri where Union Minister Ajay Mishra’s SUV had rammed into protesting farmers, killing four of them. Mishra’s son, Ashish Mishra, was allegedly in the car when it ran over protesting farmers in full speed.
The UP Police had reluctantly arrested the son of Home Minister Amit Shah’s deputy. However, the senior officer, who arrested Mishra, an upper-caste Hindu, was transferred on Thursday.
Varun Gandhi has been very vocal about the Lakhimpur Kheri massacre.
Sharing the video of the farmers’ massacre, the young parliamentarian had tweeted, “The video is crystal clear. Protestors cannot be silenced through murder. There has to be accountability for the innocent blood of farmers that has been spilled and justice must be delivered before a message of arrogance and cruelty enters the minds of every farmer.”
More recently, Varun criticised the UP government’s apathy in helping farmers, who had lost their crops and livestock in the recent floods. “Much of the Terai is badly flooded. Donating dry rations by hand so that no family is hungry till this calamity ends. It’s painful that when the common man needs the system the most, he’s left to fend for himself.If every response is individual-led then what does ‘governance’ mean?” the BJP MP from Pilibhit had asked.