AAP, BJP face off over farmers’ issues

New Delhi, Jan 2: The BJP and the Aam Aadmi Party clashed over farmers’ issues on Thursday, with Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan accusing the AAP government in Delhi of denying peasants the benefits of central schemes, an allegation that comes ahead of the Assembly polls in the capital.
In response, Chief Minister Atishi hit back at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), saying it should ask Prime Minister Narendra Modi to hold talks with the farmers sitting on a fast unto death in Punjab instead of giving sermons. She alleged that the condition of farmers was never as bad as it is under the BJP regime.
Former Delhi chief minister and AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal, in a post on X, also claimed that the BJP-led Centre is preparing to implement the three revoked farm laws “through the backdoor” by calling it a “policy”. He said copies of the new “policy” have been sent to all states for their views on it.
In a letter to Atishi on Wednesday, Chouhan alleged that her government is depriving farmers of benefits under central schemes and urged her to keep political differences aside in matters of farmer welfare.
The Union minister said the Delhi government has failed to implement major central initiatives, including the Integrated Horticulture Development Mission, Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana and the Beej Gram programme.
Due to the non-implementation of multiple central schemes, Delhi’s farmers are being denied crucial benefits, ranging from seed distribution to infrastructure development, he said.
The Union minister said the absence of the Integrated Horticulture Development Mission has prevented farmers from accessing benefits for nursery establishment, tissue-culture facilities, planting material procurement and post-harvest infrastructure.
In a separate video message, he alleged that the Delhi government has failed to submit proposals for implementing central agricultural schemes, effectively blocking benefits from reaching farmers in the national capital. (PTI)