Bharatiya Janata Party leader and Union minister Prakash Javadekar on Monday slammed Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal over his fast to show solidarity with farmers who are protesting against the three agri laws for the last 19 days. Javadekar noted that Kejriwal's Aam Aadmi Party in its election manifesto for Punjab elections in 2017 promised to amend the APMC Act and that the AAP government has already notified the three laws in the national capital.
"Arvind Kejriwal this is your hypocrisy. You promised amendment to APMC Act in Punjab assembly elections. You notified one farm law in Delhi in November 2020 and you are on fast today. Nothing but hypocrisy," he tweeted.
Kejriwal is observing fast on Monday against the three farm laws that are at the heart of protests. Kejriwal appealed to AAP volunteers and supporters to join the farmers' agitation by observing fast wherever they are. He asserted that farmers will win in the end.
"Fasting is sacred. Wherever you are, fast for our farmer brothers. Pray to God for the success of their struggle. In the end, farmers will definitely win," he tweeted.
Delhi's Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said he is observing the fast at the party office with other party members. "The Anndaata farmer of the country is on hunger strike demanding the withdrawal of the three laws of the central government for the sake of saving his daily bread. In support of the demand of farmers, today I am also on a fast with all my colleagues in the Aam Aadmi Party office," he tweeted.
Apart from Sisodia, AAP ministers and MLAs including Gopal Rai, Satyendar Jain, Atishi and Raghav Chadha also observed fast at the party office here in support of farmers.
READ MORE: 'Do you have no shame?': Amarinder Singh dubs Arvind Kejriwal's fast as 'theatrics'
Meanwhile, the BJP has launched a nationwide campaign to dispel the myths over the farm laws.
Thousands of farmers, mostly from Punjab and Haryana, are currently staying put at Delhi's borders with Haryana and Uttar Pradesh in protest against the Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020 and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020. They have expressed apprehension that these laws would pave the way for the dismantling of the minimum support price system, leaving them at the "mercy" of big corporations. However, the government has maintained that the new laws will bring farmers better opportunities and usher in new technologies in agriculture.
READ MORE: 'With farmers since beginning': Kejriwal hits back at Amarinder Singh
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