BJP is looting farmers' money to build luxurious mahals: Kejriwal in Gujarat

Indian Express

5 days ago

The BJP is 'looting money of poor dairy farmers to build their luxurious 'mahals'(palaces)', said Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) National Convener Arvind Kejriwal while demanding Rs 1 crore in compensation each from the state government and Sabar Dairy for the family of Ashok Chaudhary, a 42-year-old farmer from Zinzva village of Idar taluka, who died during a protest at Sabar Dairy in Himmatnagar on July 14.
Assuring that AAP was 'standing with the farmers' and a bullet fired towards farmers would first pass through him, Kejriwal on Wednesday made these remarks while addressing a gathering of farmers in Aravalli district's Modassa, training his gun at the BJP-ruled state government for being 'insensitive, corrupt and arrogant.'
He asserted that the countdown of BJP's downfall had begun with Chaudhary's death just like the 'fate of the Congress' after a clash in the 1980s killed 10 farmers.
Kejriwal questioned the state government's declaration of 9.5 percent profit in Sabar Dairy for the current year, significantly lower compared to the previous profits of 16 to 17.5 percent, declared from 2020 to 2024.
Kejriwal said, 'What happened at Sabar Dairy was an unfortunate incident when this corrupt, incompassionate and brutal government (BJP-run state government in Gujarat) lathicharged the poor cattle rearers… a young farmer died… Where is all the money? The profit has been between 16-18% in the last five years, so where is the money this year? It has all been stashed away in their Swiss banks… They have been building their mahals (palaces), their party's election rallies, they are looting the money of the poor farmers and buying swanky palaces, luxurious cars, helicopters and planes… AAP is with you. If another bullet is fired, it will first hit Kejriwal.'
Kejriwal said that even after Ashok Chaudhary's death, the state government failed to give the farmers their rights and only made 'false announcements' after AAP's announcement of the former Delhi CM's visit.
He said, 'On July 18, when Isudan Gadhvi announced that Arvind Kejriwal and Bhagwant Mann will come to Gujarat on June 23, the very same day at 3pm, they declared that they will give 17.5% profit. They have not given it. They have just made a false announcement; they have not given anything… Isudan has told me that he went to meet Ashok Chaudhary's family… a poor farmer… their house did not even have a roof. They (BJP) are looting the money of such people, who do not have roof over their head; and building their mahals; they will be stained in sin and go to hell…'
Stating that the 30-years in power in Gujarat had meant 'heightened arrogance' for the BJP, which thinks that the 'voters will go nowhere'.
Kejriwal said, 'If the farmers were protesting for something and it was their right to ask, should the government not have sat down with them? Should they have fired guns, tear gas shells and lathicharged you?…What is even more surprising is that not a single rupee of compensation has been given to the family of Ashok Chaudhary after his death… Today from this stage, I demand that the family should be given Rs 1 crore from the dairy and Rs 1 crore from the Gujarat government as compensation… The compensation aside, since the day of the incident, they (BJP) have been going around threatening and pressuring farmers to stay away from this meeting.'
'BJP has captured cooperatives'
Accusing the BJP of 'capturing' the cooperatives in the country, Kejriwal said, 'The meaning of a cooperative sector is that the farmers will run it. But farmers are not running the cooperatives. The BJP has captured all the cooperatives and looted you all'.
'I have researched a lot and I can say that, especially in North Gujarat, each and every farmer can be taken out of poverty if the corruption is brought to an end… I have been told that the milk farmers are paid money as per the fat content of the milk… the machine that measures the fat content is manipulated. If there is 7.5% fat, the machine will measure 7%. The remaining money, they just siphon away,' he claimed.
Accusing the BJP of working for Adanis, Kejriwal said Congress after being overthrown in 1980s following a clash with farmers, leading to 10 deaths, was never elected to power in Gujarat and similarly Chaudhary's death will set off the countdown of BJP's defeat in the state. 'Congress government, which had come to power with 149 seats in the 1970-80s, became so arrogant, just like the BJP is today, that they fired bullets at farmers and 10 died; thereafter, the Congress never came back to power. Similarly, the countdown to BJP's end has started with Ashok Chaudhary's death.'
During the occasion, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said that BJP state President CR Paatil has been involved (in mediating) the differences between Punjab and Haryana over water as well as the wars within the milk cooperatives in Gujarat.
Mann said, 'The (BJP) came to power (in Delhi) and brought the electricity bills that were free during the AAP government… But they don't come alone. They bring along Adani and a big gang.,.. CR Paatil is the Jal Shakti Minister. Punjab and Haryana are fighting over water. He is sitting in between the fight for water and also sitting in between the fight for milk. Here they are mixing milk in water… There was a meeting recently of the SYL (Sutlej Yamuna Link)… This loot will not last long. The voters have a new button and that, too, of a broom… Earlier it was only used to clean homes and offices. Now it will be used to clean the country's administration.'