BJP's hopes to get the support of the farmers after the decision to repeal the contentious farm laws appear to be dashed by its own leaders, who have either hinted at bringing back the laws in future or continued to target the farmer leaders over protests against the farm laws.
Senior BJP leader party MP Sakshi Maharaj said that scrapping and enactment of laws were a continuous process. "Bill to bante bigarte rahten hain...wapas a jayenge, dobara ban jayenge..der nahin lagti" (Bills are brought and taken back..they may come back...will be enacted again...it does'nt take much time in doing so), Sakshi Maharaj said at Unnao, his Lok Sabha constituency, on Sunday.
He also said that 'anti-national' elements had 'infiltrated' the agitation by the "so called" farmers. "You (media) know that slogans hailing Khalistan and Pakistan were raised from the stage shared by the so called farmer leaders," he added.
Another BJP leader Harnath Singh, who was a member of the Rajya Sabha, also decried the farmer leaders and alleged that Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Rakesh Tikait received funds from abroad.
"It should be investigated if Tikait received funding from abroad," Singh said.
Former union minister and Rajasthan governor Kalraj Mishra also reportedly said that the farm laws could be brought back when the time was appropriate.
Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav said on Sunday that prime minister Narendra Modi's intentions were not 'honest'. "This is the reality of those, who sought forgiveness from the farmers," he added.
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