With "fistful" of rice, Nadda seeks to conquer Bengal as Modi govt battles farm protest

Locked in a 'who blinks first'with farmers at Delhi's borders, BJP chief J P Nadda Saturdayreached out to tillers in faraway Bengal with the promise of''justice'', as he sought a ''fistful'' of rice from them insolidarity and hope of a bumper harvest in the assembly polls.

A month after his convoy was attacked by allegedruling TMC henchmen, Nadda was back in battleground WestBengal, unleashing a charm offensive to woo the state's vastfarming community, and targeting the Mamata Banerjeegovernment over alleged injustice to them.

Nadda launched the 'Krishak Suraksha Abhiyan' and 'EkMutthi Chawal' campaigns of the BJP in West Bengal's Birbhum,the state's rice bowl, asserting the Narendra Modi governmentdid more than the previous governments for the benefit of thefarmers.

He also excoriated TMC supremo and Chief MinisterMamata Banerjee, one of the foremost political voices againstthe three farm laws that brought agriculturists, primarilyfrom Punjab, Haryana and Western Uttar Pradesh, to the bordersof the national capital, over the delay in introducing the PMKisan scheme for farmers in her own state.

''The ground has already slipped from under your feet.

It's too late for you,'' he said, castigating Banerjee, whorecently indicated she was willing to implement the Centre'sPM Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme.

Nadda claimed nearly 71.23 lakh farming families werebereft of the benefits of the scheme, including 96 per centsmall and marginal farmers, because of her ''stubbornness''.

The BJP president's visit was loaded with symbolism ashe went around Jagadanandapur village collecting fistful ofrice from the homes of farmers and having a frugal lunch atthe home of Mathura Mondal, a humble tiller.

While he sought to display the BJP's soft side to thefarming community in north India, particularly Punjab, Haryanaand Uttar Pradesh, Nadda's day-long interaction with ordinarypeople was also meant to rubbish Banerjee's claim of his partybeing an ''outsider'' in Bengal politics.

Notwithstanding the memories of December 10 attack onhis convoy in Diamond Harbour, the parliamentary constituencyof Banerjee's nephew Abhishek, Nadda was seen greeting peoplewith warm handshakes and a smile.

He was, however, unsparing in his criticism ofBanerjee, accusing her of presiding over a government thatdidn't spare even poor people in distress.

''TMC stands for cut money (commission), chaal chor(the gang of thieves who steal rice), and tripal(tarpaulin)chor,'' he said, apparently referring to alleged extortion andmisappropriation of relief material by loal TMC leadersfollowing cyclone Amphan that ravaged the state in 2020.

''The Modi government gave rations to the poor duringthe pandemic. The foodgrains that should have been at rationshops were found in the godowns of TMC leaders,'' Naddaalleged.

Nadda, whose convoy had been attacked by alleged TMCsupporters last month, used a helicopter to reach the villagefrom Qazi Nazrul Islam Airport at Burdwan's Andal facility.

He asserted that the provisions in the Union budgetfor agriculture and benefits for farmers have been raisedmanifold under the Narendra Modi government.

''Since coming to power, the Modi government hasincreased the budgetary provisions for agriculture by sixtimes. In 2013-14, the budget for agriculture was only Rs22,000 crore. Today, it stands at Rs 1,34,000 crore,'' Naddasaid.

Nadda claimed the Modi government implemented theSwaminathan Committee recommendations on the Minimum SupportPrice (MSP) for crops, raising them nearly 1.5 times over theinput cost.

Having collected ''fistful'' of rice from a few homesin saffron cloth bags, Nadda said BJP workers will fan outacross 40,000 gram sabhas in the state as part of the exercisewhere they will pledge to fight for the cause of farmers.

''This is just the beginning.....over 74 lakh farmingfamilies have been deprived of the benefits of the PM KisanSamman Nidhi scheme,'' he said, adding the Mamata Banerjeegovernment agreed to implement it only because of the ''anger''in the farming community.

''The Mamata Banerjee government agreed to implementthe PM Kisan Samman Nidhi after such a long time as sherealised that the TMC is fast losing ground in Bengal. But,let me say it clearly, it is already too late for the TMCgovernment.'' Under constant criticism from the Centre, the TMCgovernment had recently indicated its willingness to implementthe PM Kisan scheme, and sought a list of over 20 lakh farmersfrom the state who had registered themselves to be a part ofthat. The scheme provides for Rs 6,000 to every farmer asincome support each year in three equal inslallments.

Later, addressing a press conference, Nadda trashedthe TMC's allegation that the saffron party was tyrying todestroy the ''Bengali culture'', and hit back at the state'sruling party, claiming it symbolised ''anarchy and corruption''.

He alleged the TMC was working with ''criminalinstinct'' and had ''institutionalised corruption''.

''The TMC never represented the true Bengali culture.

It represents anarchy, corruption and extortion. The BJP andSyama Prasad Mookherjee represented the true Bengali culture.

''We have lived the rich Bengali culture.....which iswhat Bengal thinks today India thinks tomorrow,'' Nadda said.

PTI PNT SUS SNS SKSK SK