Maha BJP leaders meet Anna Hazare, urge him not to go on hunger strike over farm laws

Days after social activist Anna Hazare warned of resuming hunger strike if his demands concerning farm laws were not met by the Central government, Maharashtra BJP leaders Haribhau Bagade and Bhagwat Karad met the octogenarian leader on Monday and requested him not to go on protest.

The BJP leaders from Maharashtra visited Hazare in his hometown Ralegansiddhi in the Ahmednagar district. An official release stated that the BJP delegation has assured that the demands put forward by Anna Hazare are for the benefit of farmers and a solution to it will be found soon. Considering his age, the BJP leaders advised Hazare that he should not call a hunger strike again.

Hazare had written a letter to the Centre last week about pending demands of the farmers and threatened to protest for it. He had also staged a day-long hunger strike in support of the ‘Bharat Bandh’ called by the farmers union on December 8 in Ralegaon Siddhi. 

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Centre failed to fulfil previous demands: Hazare

During the meeting with the Maharashtra BJP leaders, Hazare recalled that in 2018 and 2019, he was given written assurance by the Centre about his demands related to farmers "but even after two years no step had been taken to fulfill them". The 83-year-old activist further stated that he was given assurance on granting autonomous status to Krishi Mulya Aayog and C2 + 50% MSP to farmers but it was fulfilled either. He informed Bagade and Karad that since his demands related to farmers have not been fulfilled, he has sought permission to protest at Delhi's Ram Leela Maidan. 

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The BJP leaders handed over copies of the three farm laws to Anna Hazare and assured him that the laws will benefit the farmers. They also assured Hazare that soon a meeting will be called by Central leaders to discuss his demands about the welfare of farmers. Hazare’s demands include implementation of the Minimum Support Price (MSP) recommendations by the Swaminathan Commission and autonomy to the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP).

 The farm laws in question include - the Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020; the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance & Farm Services Act, 2020 and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020.

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(With inputs from agency)