“I Stand By Our Farmers”, Mamata Banerjee Calls Out BJP’s ‘Inflated Ego’, condemns Haryana Police Using Force To Stall ‘Delhi Chalo’ March

“Futile PR stunts, exposes the illusion of Viksit Bharat…” West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee launched a scathing attack on the Modi government, condemning the use of force by BJP ruled Haryana police on the protesting farmers marching towards New Delhi. She called it a failure of the Central government that has forced the farmers to take the extreme step, as a rerun of the massive 2020 stir that lasted for days against the three farm laws brought by Modi government, which were eventually repealed in 2021 under pressure.

“How can our country progress when the farmers are attacked with tear gas shells for fighting for their basic rights? I strongly condemn the brutal assault on our farmers by the BJP. The Central Govt.'s failure to support farmers and labourers, coupled with futile PR stunts, exposes the illusion of 'Viksit Bharat’.”, Mamata Banerjee wrote on ‘X’, hours after there was an ugly confrontation between farmers and Haryana police at Sambhu border on Tuesday morning. Haryana Police fired teargas shells to thwart farmers from Punjab from entering into Haryana via the Shambhu border for their ‘Dilli Chalo’ march. Several farmers groups have called for this massive agitation and named their march to national capital ‘Dilli Chalo’, on lines with the clarion call given by one of the greatest freedom fighters of all times Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, after their meeting with Union ministers over their demands, including legal guarantee to MSP for crops, remained inconclusive on Monday night.


“Instead of suppressing their protest, BJP must focus on humbling their inflated egos, power-hungry ambitions, and inadequate governance that has harmed our nation. Remember, it's these farmers who sustain us all, including the high and mighty. Let's stand in solidarity with our farmers against the government's brutality”, Mamata Banerjee added. She became the second non BJP chief minister to come out in open support of the agitating farmers after Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal refused to “follow Centra’s request” and denied approval for "converting a stadium into a jail" for the farmers. Kejriwal has called the demands of the farmers genuine.


In 2020, the farmers protested against the three farm laws on Delhi borders were later repealed. That protest had lasted for almost a year. Fearing a rerun, several arterial roads leading to delhi from Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Punjab have been sealed leading to massive traffic snarl. ‘Dilli Chalo’ was announced in 2023 demanding a legal guarantee to MSP for all crops, the implementation of Swaminathan Commission's formula, full debt waiver for farmers, pension for farmers and labourers, withdrawal of cases against farmers during the 2020-21 protest. Union minister Arjun Munda later on Monday after the meeting claimed most of the demands of the farmers have been met but Farmers unions claimed that there was no clarity given on the “legal guarantee on the MSP”