PM attacks rivals for opposing agri reforms, says middlemen powered their politics

Asserting that his government has done more for villages in the past six years than what was done in the preceding six decades, Prime Minister Narendra Modi Sunday flayed those opposing the new farm laws, saying their politics was powered by brokers and middlemen, and accused them of using "foul language" and spreading "lies" in attacking the Centre.

Farmers are not going with those who have opposed the "historic" reforms enacted by his government, Modi said in a reference to the three contentious agriculture laws, which have been opposed by the Congress and other parties, and asserted the country will not waver from this path.

Speaking at a programme to launch the physical distribution of property cards under the ''SVAMITVA'' (ownership) scheme via video conferencing, he referred to a number of projects, including opening of bank accounts, building toilets and houses, cooking gas scheme and electrification, to highlight his government''s measures to develop villages and improving the living standards of the residents therein.

While it was always said that the nation's soul lives in its villages, rural India was left to fend for itself by those who ruled the country earlier, Modi said in a swipe at the Congress.

Many people don't want villages, the poor, the farmer and the labourer to be ''aatmanirbhar'' (self-reliant), the prime minister said and added that his government''s measures to empower them, including by directly transferring money to farmers and others, has hit the middleman hard by wiping out their source of illegitimate earnings.

Without naming the opposition, he said it is upset not for farmers but for itself as it was for long strengthened by the power of middlemen, brokers and commission agents.

People of the country have begun destroying the Opposition's web of deception, Modi said.

Congress has been opposing the farm laws enacted by the government last month.

Parliament had passed The Farmers Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020, The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill, 2020 and The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill 2020 during the Monsoon Session.

The prime minister said his government is undertaking development without any discrimination and with full transparency, and everyone is getting benefit of schemes.

Keeping people in villages deprived has been the basis of some people''s politics, Modi said, adding they wanted problems of villages and people there to continue so that their purpose gets served.

"People now know those who have looted the country. That is why they are indulging in opposition, bad-mouthing (government) and using foul language. They are not bothered about the poor, villages or the country. They are troubled by all the good work. They want to stop the development march of the country," the prime minister said.

For over six decades, a huge number of rural poor did not have bank accounts and they were not getting electricity, which his government has done now, Modi said.

For decades, crores in villages did not have their own house and now this government has built about two crore houses for poor families in villages and is working to ensure that others get it too, he said.

For decades, households in villages could not even think of receiving piped water and the womenfolk had to walk for kilometers to fetch drinking water but the NDA government has under its Jal Jeevan Mission started work to take piped drinking water to 15 crore households, the prime minister said.

A massive exercise has also begun to take optical fiber to all villages, he said.

Targeting the opposition, he said keeping people in villages deprived had been the basis of its politics as it thought if people were empowered nobody will plead and bend before these parties.

"They wanted problems of villages and its people to persist so that their purpose is served. That is why they tried to keep things in limbo," he said.

"These days they have a problem with historic reforms in agriculture. They are upset not for farmers but for themselves. For ages they strengthened their power through middlemen. The people of the country have begun destroying their web of deception,” Modi said.