BJP, PM Modi chanting 'Ram Ram' for elections: Yechury

Hitting out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) over Ram temple controversy, Communist Party of India (Marxist) general secretary Sitaram Yechury on Friday said that whenever the elections are around the corner the BJP starts chanting "Ram Ram".

Addressing a gathering of farmers at the Jantar Mantar, here, Yechury said, "BJP, Prime Minister Modi and RSS have only one weapon in hand that is Ram Temple. As the elections are approaching, they have started chanting 'Ram Ram'."

Yechury also compared Prime Minister Modi and BJP president Amit Shah with the Kauravas in the Mahabharat and said, "There were a hundred Kauravas but do you know any of the names other than two? Duryodhan and Dushasan. Same way BJP claims they have crores in their party, but people know just two - Modi, Shah. We, the opposition, on the other hand, are like Pandavas who when together are like a fist."

Furthermore, Yechury claimed that the people of the country will remove the government that does not talk and make policies in favour of farmers and common people.

More than one lakh farmers, belonging to 200 organisations marched in the national capital on Friday to push for their demands including implementation of the MS Swaminathan Committee report, farm loan waiver and better Minimum Support Price (MSP) for their agricultural produce. The rally was organised by the All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee (AIKSCC).

From the past couple of months, the country has been witnessing a number of protests by farmers. On October 2, on the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, farmers from the neighbouring states of Haryana and Punjab were not allowed to stage a protest in Delhi, which later led to a violent confrontation with the state police at the Delhi border.

Mumbai also witnessed thousands of farmers, under the aegis of Lok Sangharsh Morcha, on November 22 marched towards Azad Maidan to press for their demands, which include farmland ownership and implementation of the Forest Rights Act.

In March, around 25,000 farmers under the banner of All India Kisan Sabha carried out a protest march in Mumbai, demanding a complete farm loan waiver.