After Shiromani Akali Dal broke off ties with the ruling BJP, another ally has threatened to quit the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) over the farm laws. Rajasthan MP Hanuman Beniwal, who is the Chief of Rashtriya Loktantrik Party wants GOI to immediately talk to farmers. Beniwal wants the central government to implement all the recommendations of the Swaminathan Commission and repeal the three contentious farm laws. 

In a tweet addressed to the Home Minister, Beniwal has demanded that the three new agricultural laws at the centre of the massive farmer-protests near Delhi be scrapped. He also urged the BJP-led central government to talk to the farmers immediately instead of Thursday, when a second round of ministerial talks has been scheduled over the protests.

Beniwal, whose RLP counts farmers among its biggest supporters tweeted,”Mr. Amit Shah, in view of the countrywide sentiment in support of the ongoing farmers’ movement, the recently introduced three bills related to agriculture should be immediately withdrawn. (The centre must) implement all recommendations of the Swaminathan Commission, and immediately hold dialogue with farmers in Delhi.”

He also added, “RLP is an NDA constituent, but its power comes from farmers and jawans. If prompt action is not taken in this matter, I will have to rethink the issue of being a partner in the NDA in the interest of farmers.”

Mr. Beniwal’s threat comes after the BJP lost one of its oldest allies, the Shiromani Akali Dal, over the passage of farm bills in September. The RLP has a huge support base among the Jats, a politically powerful community of land-holding farmers in 10-15 Lok Sabha seats of Rajasthan. The party had contested the last Rajasthan election in alliance with the BJP.

Mr. Beniwal also said that governments of neighbouring states, including BJP-ruled Haryana, should not adopt any oppressive policy against farmers. He had earlier said that if the police and governments adopted an oppressive policy against farmers, the RLP will hold demonstrations across the country, including Rajasthan, in favour of farmers. He had also hinted that he would join the Delhi protest with lakhs of farmers from Rajasthan.

The BJP-led central government is facing increasing pressure from partners, former allies, and opposition parties to address the demands of farmers who, in continuation of their months-long protest, have been camping along Delhi’s borders for five days, effectively cutting off the city from all sides. The farmers have come prepared and are firm over holding the protests for four to six months.

Farmers protesting against the laws have rejected the Centre’s proposal of early talks over the condition to shift their protest to the venue in north Delhi. They have said that the government should have approached them with “an open heart” and should not have placed conditions. They are apprehensive that the suggested protest site at Burari could become a jail. Surjeet Phul, Bharatiya Kisan Union president said, “Delhi Police told the Uttarakhand Farmers Association chief that they will take them to Jantar Mantar but instead locked them at Burari Park.”

For nearly three months, the farmers have been up in arms against the laws whose provisions many believe would lead to the impoverishment of the farmers. Opposition parties apart from farmers allege that the laws will certainly deprive the farmers of a guaranteed minimum price for their produce and would surely leave them at the mercy of corporate lobbyists. The central government maintains that the opposition parties are misleading farmers, who have repeatedly said that their movement is completely independent.

The author is a student member of Amity center of Happiness