Saying he cannot betray farmers, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday tore up copies of the Centre's three new agriculture-related laws in the Legislative Assembly.
Addressing the Delhi Assembly, the chief minister also alleged that the laws “have been made for electoral funding of the BJP and not the farmers.”
“I am pained that I have to do this. I did not intend to, but I cannot betray the farmers of my country who have been sleeping on the streets in the cold when the temperature is just 2 degrees Celsius,” Kejriwal said.
“I am a citizen of this country first, a chief minister later. This assembly rejects the three laws and appeals to the central government to meet the demands of farmers,” he said.
Kejriwal further said 20 protesting farmers have died so far and asked the Centre when it will "wake up".
While tearing the copy of the laws, the chief minister said that the Centre should not be under the impression that the farmers will simply return to their homes. In 1907, a farmers' protest had continued for nine months till the British rulers repealed some laws, he said.
He said the Aam Aadmi Party stands firmly with the demands of the farmers of the country. Slogans of “Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan” were also raised in the house.
A one-day special session of the Delhi Assembly has been convened on Thursday to oppose the three agricultural laws brought by the Centre. Meanwhile, AAM Aadmi Party MLAs tore up the copy of the agriculture law in the House itself.
At the beginning of the session, minister Kailash Gehlot moved a resolution which called for repealing the three agricultural laws. Each speaker was then given five minutes to speak.
