The Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) demanded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi should apologise for the reprehensible and false anti-farmer comments made by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP and actor Kangana Ranaut during a media interview. The SKM pointed out that the BJP MP, who is a habitual abuser of farmers, has now taken the extreme step of calling Indian farmers murderers, rapists, conspirators, and anti-national. The farmers body demanded an unconditional apology from Raut too. It asserted that if the MP does not apologise, she would have to face a public boycott.

The BJP on its part, stated that the views expressed by Raut was not the official view of the party. However, the farmers organisation added that Ranaut’s utterances are an extension of the BJP’s long-standing policy aimed at insulting, denigrating and discrediting the historic anti-corporate farmers’ movement led by SKM at the borders of Delhi. “Despite insults and deliberate provocation, SKM has always ensured that the farmers’ protests against the anti-farmer laws and pro-corporate policies of the BJP led Union Govt remains peaceful, lawful and in accordance with exercise of fundamental rights enshrined in the Constitution of India.”

The SKM stated further as follows. “The most significant achievement of the farmers’ movement was its massive character and the supreme sacrifice of 736 martyrs. Among them were the five victims of Lakhimpur Kheri massacre of four farmers and one journalist mowed down under running vehicles of Kangana Ranut’s party leader and former Minister of State for Home Affairs Ajay Kumar Teni and his son who are facing trial for murder charges. Not a single person was killed in any violence caused by the farmers’ movement during the entire period of farmers’ struggle around the Capital city.”

Farmers’ movement is the successor of the great anti-colonial struggle of the Indian people against British Imperialism and still fights against the imperialist driven corporate forces and policies. It is better for Kangana Ranaut to try to learn the history and politics of the farmers’ movement in India before terming it as anti-national.

It is high time the PM stands with the ‘annadatas’ of India and does not allow his party and its members to misbehave with those who are providing food security to the nation. It is not only the PM’s constitutional duty, but people of India expect no less from him. “ – the statement pointed out.