Union Minister Ravneet Bittu seeks probe into farmer leaders’ properties   

Union Minister Ravneet Singh Bittu on Saturday sought a probe into land and properties owned by farmer leaders, claiming many of them were either “arthiyas” or rice mill owners.

The Minister’s remarks came as he lashed out at farmer leaders for holding protests against the BJP and its leaders while claiming that the ordinary farmer was not against his party.

Farmers in Punjab recently held protests against the BJP and its leaders, alleging tardiness in paddy lifting and shortage of DAP (diammonium phosphate) fertiliser.

Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala had recently alleged that farmers in many parts of the country, including Haryana, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh, had to stand in queues to get fertilisers.

Bittu asked reporters in Muktsar district, “Where do farmers get time for this (protest)? They are facing hardships in ‘mandis’. Thereafter, they will be busy with wheat sowing. Where do they have the time?”

It is the farmer leaders who hold protests, he alleged.

“(We) will get checked (land and property holdings) of many farmer leaders. We will speak about it after the bypolls. How much land they (farmer leaders) had before becoming leaders and how much land and property they have now…,” the minister said.

“Which farmer leader among them is not an ‘arthiya (commission agent)’ or does not run rice shellers?” he asked.

Ordinary farmers are not into protests, Bittu said.

The Union Minister also said the farmers would vote for the BJP in the coming days. “They know if any improvement can be brought, it can be done by the Centre, which has the funds. The Centre gave Rs 44,000 crore for paddy procurement (in Punjab).”

Meanwhile, Kisan Mazdoor Morcha leader Sarwan Singh Pandher dared Bittu to investigate the properties of farmer leaders.

“We are not scared of your statements,” he said.

He alleged the farmers were not getting the DAP fertiliser, which provides nitrogen and phosphorus essential for plant growth and health.

Punjab’s ruling AAP also condemned Bittu’s statement and asked him if the BJP now intended to investigate how the state’s farmers were managing to feed themselves.

AAP spokesperson Neel Garg said the BJP was pursuing politics aimed at “harassing” Punjab’s farmers, concocting “false accusations” and spreading rumours to defame them.

Garg said the BJP’s “cheap” politics in the last two years had only one objective—to take revenge on Punjab’s farmers for their protest against the now-repealed farm laws.

“Bittu’s statement is part of this cheap politics. The BJP is conspiring against Punjab and Ravneet Bittu is the face of that conspiracy,” he said in a statement.