Farmer protest a living monument of BJP government’s failure: Akhilesh

As the farmers' protest against the Centre's three farm laws completed a month on Friday, Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav said the ongoing agitation is a living monument of the BJP government's failure.

In a tweet in Hindi, Yadav said, "The protest against the farm laws is completing a month today. For the benefit of their dear rich friends and corporate sponsors, the BJP is trading a path which is against all -- farmers, labourers, middle and lower classes. The farmer protest is a living monument of the BJP government's failure."

Thousands of farmers from Punjab, Haryana, UP and some other states have been protesting at various border points of Delhi against the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, Farmers Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act.

Enacted in September, the three farm laws have been projected by the central government as major reforms in the agriculture sector that will remove the middlemen and allow farmers to sell anywhere in the country.

However, the protesting farmers have expressed apprehension that the new laws would pave the way for eliminating the safety cushion of Minimum Support Price and do away with the mandi system, leaving them at the mercy of big corporates.