At BJP meet, Rajnath urges dialogue between farmers, govt

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday urged dialogue between the protesting farmers and the Centre while addressing a meeting of Bharatiya Janata Party office-bearers, during which he also invoked the border clashes with China and the construction of the Ram temple.

Making an appeal to farmers upset over the new agri-marketing laws, the senior BJP leader said any problem can be resolved through talks.

"The BJP resolve is to double the farmers' income, and in no case the MSP will end," he said, referring to the apprehension among farmers camping at Delhi's borders for months now.

"We are all from farmers' families and we are ready for amendments and solutions, whatever is needed in the interest of agriculture," Singh said at the inaugural meeting of the Uttar Pradesh BJP executive committee.

He highlighted the role of grassroots workers in the Bharatiya Janata Party and said this was the only party which has not seen a split so far.

"This is not a crowd of workers aiming to gain power but a lively party which has a political vision," he said.

He referred to the recently begun construction of a Ram temple in Ayodhya, after the historic verdict in the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid land dispute. "People used to say that whenever elections come, BJP leaders speak about construction of the Ram temple," he said, referring to the foundation laying ceremony last year.

"It is a coincidence that when the structure fell in Ayodhya, there was a BJP government in UP, and Kalyan Singh was the chief minister," Singh said, alluding to the demolition of the Babri mosque.

"And when the foundation stone for the construction of the Ram temple was laid, there was a BJP government in UP, and Yogiji was the chief minister," he added.

On the face-off with China in Ladakh last year, the minister said, "Our Army jawans displayed courage and valour with patience. We don't wish to attack anyone but will not tolerate the grabbing of our land."

He said no power on earth can stop India from becoming a global superpower. Singh claimed that in the 2022 UP Assembly elections the BJP will get more seats than its 2017 tally.

Addressing party workers, he said they cannot complain of any injustice to them by the party, though there can be "delays".

Giving his own example, Singh said he did not make any demands from the party and just kept working.

"We are lucky that we got an opportunity to become BJP worker," he added. "Credibility is the biggest capital in politics," he said, pointing at Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

"Be it the abrogation of Article 370, triple talaq or bhoomi pujan for the construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya, there has been no doubt over our credibility. We do not indulge in politics of caste or religion, but that of humanity," he said.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Deputy CMs Keshav Prasad Maurya and Dinesh Sharma and UP BJP chief Swatantra Dev Singh attended the meeting.

He called for a feeling of pride towards the country. "Sixty per cent of the COVID vaccines in the world have been prepared in India, and scientists who developed the vaccines should be congratulated," Singh, who is also a Lok Sabha MP from Lucknow, said.

Referring to the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, Singh said, "When the prime minister took a broom in his hand some people in the party asked whether this will fetch votes."

"But the World Health Organisation said the cleanliness movement has changed India's health scenario," he added.

Speaking on the occasion, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath criticised the Opposition for raising questions over encounters of criminals and alleged that they always patronised the organised crime.

"It is quite natural for them to feel upset because the criminals nurtured by them are on the run in the BJP government in Uttar Pradesh," Adityanath said.

"It is the zero tolerance policy of my government that the goons who used to get political protection are going to other states and begging for their lives," he added.

The UP chief minister said the Centre has formulated policies to provide housing to the poor, cooking gas connections and spared no effort to double the income of farmers.

Calling them as the real strength of the government, he exhorted party workers to publicise the schemes of the Centre and the state government.

Adityanath said the Congress has only been misleading farmers.