Opposition spreading false propaganda about farm laws: FM

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Friday accused the opposition parties ofspreading false propaganda about the contentious farm laws andsaid they were protesting only to benefit middlemen.

Addressing the traders' cell of Tamil Nadu BJP here, shealso said those who were causing hindrance to the progress ofthe growth of Tamil Nadu were now criticising Prime MinisterNarendra Modi's government at the Centre.

''How can one answer to a false propaganda that throughthe farmer's law a farmer could lose his land?'', she asked,referring to the protests demanding repeal of the laws.

She said that they were opposing the laws only to benefitmiddle men.

In an apparent counter to the repeated attack by DMK thatTamil Nadu's interests had been neglected by the Centre, shesaid: ''We are not those who are standing as an obstacle in theprogress of a state. Tamil Nadu should develop.'' Tamil Nadu required good governance, she added.

Noting that there was not even one Parliamentarianrepresenting Tamil Nadu in Prime Minister Narendra Modi'scabinet, she said, despite that he was executing variousdevelopment projects for the welfare of the state.

Referring to the ambitious Defence corridor project inthe state, she said Uttar Pradesh was now looking at TamilNadu on how they can compete with it in the production ofdefence parts.

''This is called a healthy competition. When thishappens, every state progresses. We are not doing any politicsthat pose an obstacle in the progress of a state,'' the FinanceMinister said.

Pointing to the announcement by Modi that the Centre hasaccepted the Devendrakula Vellalar community to be listed onlyby their collective, traditional name of 'DevendrakulaVellalar'' and not by the names of seven sub-sects, she said itwas the BJP that gave prominent posts in government to thosebelonging to all communities.

Which other party gave prominent posts in thegovernment to those who were not belonging to any ''forwardcastes'', she asked, slamming the opposition parties forindulging in 'irresponsible politics'.

Sitharaman said several BJP leaders such as former stateunit chief L Ganesan visited every nook and corner of thestate for the growth of the party.

''Even at that time (when the party was not in power) wedid not forget the people of Tamil Nadu, even today (when weare in power) we did not forget the people of Tamil Nadu (inannouncing development projects for the state)'', she said.

The senior BJP leader claimed the opposition parties inthe state were in a state of fear as they could not take onthe AIADMK-BJP alliance in the state, where assembly electionsare due in the next few months.