Tells Centre to stop monologue, start dialogue; Says show aggression on border, not protest sites

Today we are very touchy about remarks coming from outside on the farmers’ agitation. But who said this ‘Abki baar Trump sarkar’. And now we are talking about interference?”- TMC MP Derek O’Brien

I.S. Saluja

NEW DELHI (TIP): Hitting out at the government over its “failure” on various fronts, including the ongoing farmers’ agitation, Opposition members in Rajya Sabha today asked the ruling NDA leadership to stop “monologue” and instead “initiate dialogue with the protesters”.

Why isn’t PM talking to farmers, why fences?

When the PM says he’s only a phone call away, who is coming between him and farmers… Why have fences been built, toilets removed, Net blocked? — Deepender Hooda, Congress

Opening the second day of discussion on a motion thanking the President for his address to the joint sitting of Parliament at the start of the Budget session, RJD MP Manoj Kumar Jha said the government had “lost the patience to hear and any criticism was painted as anti-national”.

“With folded hands, I request you to please understand the pain of farmers. In harsh winter you stopped water supply and toilet facilities, dug trenches, put barbed wires and installed spikes,” the RJD MP said. “Such aggressive approach wasn’t even heard of towards the neighboring nations who came inside (the Indian territory),” he added.

On a tweet by pop star Rihanna on the farmers’ protest, Jha said the democracy would not be weakened by a tweet, but by the approach of the government.

In a veiled reference to cold storage chain and godowns built by private corporates, Jha said, “Your backbone is the farmer…. 303 (seats won by the BJP in last General Election) did not come from cold storage or godowns, but from these very people.” Hitting out at the government, TMC MP Derek O’Brien said, “Today we are very touchy about remarks coming from outside on the farmers’ agitation. But who said this ‘Abki baar Trump sarkar’. And now we are talking about interference?”

As he rose to participate in the discussion earlier, the TMC MP said, “Such are times… we should be thankful for small freedoms. Freedoms like being allowed to speak without the microphones being muted, or the television feeds censored, or MPs not being escorted out by marshals.”

(With inputs from agencies)