"Condition never as bad as it was during BJP's rule": CM Atishi hits back at Union Agriculture Minister's allegation

New Delhi: Reacting to the allegations of Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Delhi Chief Minister Atishi on Thursday launched a scathing attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party saying that the condition of farmers has never been "as bad as" it was during BJP's rule, according to a statement issued from the Chief Minister's office.
Sharpening her attack, she further alleged that the "BJP talking about farmers is like Dawood preaching on non-violence."
In a statement issued from the Chief Minister's Office, Atishi said, "BJP talking about farmers is like Dawood preaching on non-violence. The condition of farmers has never been as bad as it was during BJP's rule. Farmers in Punjab are on hunger strike, tell Modi ji to talk to them. Stop doing politics on farmers' issues. Bullets and lathis were fired on farmers during BJP rule."
Meanwhile, in a counter-attack, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MP Sanjay Singh accused Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan of "spreading lies" and making "ridiculous allegations."
Addressing a press conference, Singh said, "The state president of the "Bharatiya Jhootha Party" and his Union Agriculture Minister have tried to spread some more lies since morning. BJP leaders from national to state level leaders should listen, we will not let the vote of any Purvanchalis get cut. When we have exposed you, you are making ridiculous allegations."
"BJP leaders applied to get the votes of our Purvanchalis brothers cut by calling them Bangladeshis and Rohingyas. In Shahdara, Tughlakabad, Palam, Rajouri Garden, Harinagar, Karawal Nagar, every BJP person applied to get the votes of hundreds of thousands of people cut," he added.
Attacking further, AAP MP Singh called the BJP the "biggest traitor party" of farmers since independence.
He said, "BJP is such a shameless party that it is still talking about farmers.... The party due to which MSP was not implemented, due to which even today a farmer is on hunger strike, today a farmer of Maharashtra is also forced to commit suicide. They are talking about farmers. BJP is the biggest traitor party of farmers since independence. When I raised my voice in Parliament against the three agricultural laws, I was suspended. In Parliament, I and Bhagwant Mann raised slogans against the Prime Minister. Arvind Kejriwal, as Chief Minister, gave the highest compensation for crop loss."
Earlier, Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan wrote a letter to Delhi Chief Minister Atishi, accusing the AAP government in Delhi of blocking the Centre's welfare schemes for farmers in Delhi and called their policies "anti-agriculture" and "anti-farmer."
The Union Minister further stated that he had earlier raised the issue of Delhi's farmers' concern, but the Delhi government didn't "resolve these problems."
The letter dated January 1, reads, "I am writing this letter to you with great sorrow. You have never taken appropriate decisions in the interest of farmers in Delhi. The farmer-friendly schemes of the Central Government have also been prevented from being implemented in Delhi by your government. There is no sympathy for the farmers in your government."
"Today, the farmer brothers and sisters of Delhi are upset and worried. Due to the non-implementation of many farmer welfare schemes of the Center by the Delhi Government, the farmer brothers and sisters are being deprived of the benefits of these schemes. I had earlier also written a letter to you and informed you about the problems of the farmers of Delhi, but it is a matter of concern that your government has not resolved these problems," it added.