KCR questions Centre’s smart meter move in Punjab

Ruchika M Khanna

Chandigarh, May 22

The political message is clear behind the getting together of three non-BJP Chief Ministers — K Chandrashekar Rao (Telangana), Arvind Kejriwal (Delhi) and Bhagwant Mann (Punjab) — on a common platform here to honour farmers who died in anti-farm law stir and martyrs of the Galwan Valley.

Since nationalism has been a major political plank of the BJP, these CMs today chose to woo farmers and Army men, which resonates with the “nationalism agenda”.

Can bring in regime change

If you unitedly fight against the ‘dictatorial policies’ of the central government, you can overthrow it. We are with you in this struggle. K Chandrashekar Rao, Telangana Chief Minister

Will make you debt-free

The year-long struggle of farmers was the biggest-ever against the tyranny of the Centre…. I am striving hard to make you karza mukt. Bhagwant Mann, Punjab Chief Minister

More such steps on anvil

We will continue to take such farmer-friendly decisions and establish a farming model here. We will show how to make agriculture profitable. Arvind Kejriwal, Delhi Chief Minister

Amid sloganeering against the BJP, K Chandrashekar Rao (KCR) implored the gathering to launch a farmers’ agitation across India, demanding a constitutional guarantee for MSP on all crops. He also openly challenged the decision of the Centre asking for prepaid smart meters for agriculture consumers. This has also been a simmering issue in Punjab.

Kejriwal, too, played along with KCR and said his government was under immense pressure from the Centre to convert stadiums into jails and send farmers there during the stir. “But we withstood this pressure to side with you,” he told them.

This initiative by KCR and Kejriwal assumes significance with the President elections due in July. AAP does not have any Lok Sabha member, but has eight in the Upper House and two more are to be elected now, taking its rally to 10. KCR, say sources, is believed to be trying to build a national consensus on a non-BJP and non-Congress alternative for the polls, and also for the 2024 General Election. He is presently visiting non-BJP and non-Congress ruled states.

Together, KCR, Kejriwal and Mann distributed cheques for Rs 3 lakh each to families of martyred farmers and Rs 10 lakh each to families of Galwan martyrs. As many as 543 Punjab-based and 150 Haryana-based families of martyred farmers and four families of Galwan martyrs had been identified to be given relief by Telangana.

Only one family from each district was called on stage, while the others were asked to collect their cheques from the nodal officer. The Punjab Government has already given cheques for Rs 5 lakh to each of the families of martyred farmers and Rs 50 lakh to the families of martyred soldiers, besides a job for the next of kin.

KCR thanked his “friends Arvind Kejriwal and farmer leader Rakesh Tikait” for joining him in extending relief to the families. “It is a sad occasion. It’s a shame that even after seven decades of Independence, we have to have such events. There should be a national debate on where the problem lies. We stand with bereaved families in their hour of need,” he said.

Mann told the farmers that his government would always stand by farmers. “The year-long struggle was the biggest-ever resistance against the tyranny of the Centre. But you did not budge till your demands were met. Now that you have voted for us, I am striving to make you ‘karza mukt (debt-free)’,” he said.