BJP cosying up to NCP, alleges Shetti

KOLHAPUR: Farmers' leader and BJP ally in the Lok Sabha Raju Shetti on Thursday accused the BJP of having close association with the NCP and said that the party should make the relation official by appointing NCP chief Sharad Pawar as Union agriculture minister. Shetti also said that since the BJP-led state government is helping the NCP, why not make NCP leader Jayant Patil the cooperation minister.
Shetti made his statement as a reaction to the BJP-led Union government's attempts to clear the Land Acquisition Bill in Parliament.
On the sidelines of the Gokul diary elections here, Shetty said, “It is now apparent that the NCP is controlling several state and national decisions related to agriculture, cooperation, import and export of sugar and foodgrains. Compared to the Congress party and some socio-political groups, the NCP leaders are hardly making any statement against the ruling government. I am a part of the National Democratic Alliance led by the BJP, so I know whose interests are being protected.”
“I feel the BJP should invite Sharad Pawar and hand over him the charge of Union agriculture minister. Similarly, the charge of state cooperation minister should be given to NCP's Jayant Patil. Let people realize that these parties are not allergic to each other,” he said.
Shetty said, “Subsidy to raw sugar export should have been announced in December or January, but the government did it in March, when most of the crushing activity was over. Hence, the benefit remained to a limited sector and the overall impression of the government remained anti-farmer.”
The way the BJP is pushing the Land Acquisition Bill is disappointing. If the government is pro-farmer why it is taking away land from the farmers without his or her consent, Shetty asked. He also referred to Vinoba Bhave's land donation movement where big farmers had donated their agricultural land. He said, “When Bhave launched his movement, 38 lakh acres of land was distributed to landless people. There was no need of any forceful intervention. Same way, the government should not force the farmers to sell the land, especially to corporates. I will continue to oppose the bill till some amendments are made to it.”
Commenting over a farmer’s suicide at a rally organized by the Aam Admi Party in Delhi on Wednesday, Shetti said, “I think there was a chance to save the life of the farmer, but unfortunately it did not happen… The incident should not have been politicized in any way.”