IT Correspondent
New Delhi, Dec. 25:
Even as Prime Minister Narendra Modi released Rs 18,000 crore as the next instalment of financial benefits under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) scheme on Friday, a group of seven influential US lawmakers, including Indian-American Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal, wrote to US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, urging him to raise the issue of farmers’ protest in India with his Indian counterpart.
“Many Indian Americans are directly affected as they have family members and ancestral land in Punjab and are concerned for the well-being of their families in India. In view of this serious situation, we urge you to contact your Indian counterpart to reinforce the United States’ commitment to the freedom of political speech abroad,” they said.
In addition to Jayapal, the letter has been signed by Congressmen Donald Norcross, Brendan F Boyle, Brian Fitzpatrick, Mary Gay Scanlon, Debbie Dingell and David Trone.
Over the past few weeks, more than a dozen US Congressmen have expressed their concerns on the ongoing protest by the farmers in India.
However India has called the remarks by foreign leaders and politicians on protests by farmers as “ill-informed” and “unwarranted”.”We have seen some ill-informed comments relating to farmers in India. Such comments are unwarranted, especially when pertaining to the internal affairs of a democratic country,” External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said.
On Friday Modi released Rs 18,000 crore as the next instalment under the PM-KISAN scheme in the bank accounts of nine crore farmers. He also interacted virtually with farmers from six states during which he said, “Some parties pushing political agenda by opposing new farm laws. Some people spreading myth and lies that land will be taken away if farmers enter into contract farming.”
With the push of a button, Modi enabled the transfer of money at an event which the ruling BJP has made into a mega exercise to reach out to farmers by having its leaders interact with the farming community at more than 19,000 venues across the country. Modi released the instalment of Rs 2,000 to every farmer on the birth anniversary of former prime minister and BJP stalwart Atal Bihari Vajpayee, which is every year celebrated as “Good Governance Day” by the ruling party.
Meanwhile, responding to farmer unions, protesting at Delhi’s borders against the new farm laws, who on Thursday said they are open to talks if a more concrete proposal is made, the government said it is ready for logical resolution of all issues raised by the farmers. In a letter to 40 representatives of farmer unions, Vivek Aggarwal, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, urged them to decide the time and date for the next round of talks, and also “give details of other issues on which you want to negotiate”.
