Akhilesh Yadav, the leader of the Samajwadi Party, made a number of promises to Uttar Pradesh farmers on Monday, including MSP for all crops, free irrigation, payment of arrears to cane growers in 15 days, interest-free loans, insurance, and pension.
Yadav further stated that cases filed against farmers during their agitation against the now-repealed farm laws would be dismissed and that the families of farmers killed in the protest will be compensated with a sum of Rs. 25 lakh apiece.
The SP supremo told the journalists that all of these pledges will be included in the party's electoral manifesto for the state assembly elections. If necessary, he said, a special 'Farmers Revolving Fund' would be established to ensure that arrears to sugarcane farmers are paid within 15 days.
The SP head took an "Anna Sankalp" (food commitment) before releasing the blueprint to emphasize his solid dedication for the welfare of the state's farmers.
He said that the party has already pledged to give everyone 300 units of electricity. The Samajwadi Party is attempting to profit from the recent farmers' movement by forming an alliance with the Rashtriya Lok Dal.
The first phase of voting is slated on February 10 in western Uttar Pradesh, where many farmers took part in the protests against the agri-marketing laws near the Delhi border. Rakesh Tikait, one of the most visible faces of the year-long protest, comes from this region, and when outlining his party's strategy for farmers, the SP head did not miss a chance to criticize the BJP, accusing it of ignoring farmers during its tenure.
"In its 2017 election agenda, the BJP vowed to treble farmers' income. Is it now complete? "He inquired.
The former chief minister claimed the Lakhimpur Kheri tragedy, in which four farmers were killed by a four-wheeler in October last year, was even worse than the tragic Jallianwala Bagh case during British rule.
"In the Jallianwala Bagh case, Britishers shot innocent individuals in the chest, but in the Lakhimpur Kheri event, innocent farmers going home were crushed under the wheels of the car," he explained.
Yadav mockingly answered to a inquiry about whether Bhartiya Kisan Union leader Rakesh Tikiat will obtain the SP candidacy in the elections, "If you bring him to me, I will absolutely consider it."
