GUWAHATI, Feb 24: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has strongly opposed the Assam government’s move to allocate 10 hectares of land from the Phulaguri Seed Farm in Upper Assam’s Golaghat district to Patanjali Ayurved for palm oil cultivation.
In a statement issued on Monday, AAP’s Golaghat district president Pulin Gogoi criticised the BJP-led government, terming the decision a blatant betrayal of local farmers.
Slamming the BJP-AGP alliance, Gogoi claimed, “The Himanta Biswa Sarma-led government is more interested in giving away land than protecting it. This government is handing over agricultural land to big corporate houses while neglecting local farmers. We will not tolerate even an inch of land being transferred to Ramdev’s company.”
“AAP’s Golaghat unit demands that the entire land of the Phulaguri Seed Farm be distributed among local farmers for agricultural purposes instead of being handed over to an external corporate entity,” he said.
Criticising state’s agriculture minister Atul Bora for allowing such an action, Gogoi called it a disgraceful decision and demanded a clear stance from him.
Additionally, AAP’s district leadership urged BJP and AGP ministers, MLAs, and the MP of the Kaziranga Lok Sabha constituency to clarify their position on the issue.
AAP’s Golaghat district general secretary, Deepjyoti Saikia, warned that palm oil cultivation would reduce soil fertility and ultimately destroy agricultural land.
Expressing concern, he stated, “If Patanjali is allowed to cultivate palm oil here, it will lead to an agricultural crisis, pushing local farmers into distress.”
