BJP will not play politics over sugarcane farmers’ issues: Vijayendra
Bengaluru: State BJP president B.Y. Vijayendra on Friday said that the Bharatiya Janata Party would not indulge in politics over the issues faced by sugarcane farmers, asserting that the party’s support for the ongoing farmers’ agitation is based on humanitarian concern, not political gain.
Speaking to reporters in Bengaluru, Vijayendra criticized the Congress government, stating, “It has been six days since the farmers’ protest began, yet not a single responsible minister has visited them. If we wanted to politicize the matter, we would have joined the protest on the first day itself. We are merely supporting the farmers’ struggle.”
Taking a dig at a Congress MLA who allegedly said that sugarcane growers are not real farmers, Vijayendra called the statement “shameful and insensitive.”
He further added, “When a war is imminent, you don’t begin weapons training at the last moment. The Chief Minister should have convened a meeting with sugar mill owners and farmer leaders well before the crushing season began. Though it’s already late, there’s still time, don’t test the farmers’ patience any further. Don’t just sit idle after writing to the Prime Minister; take concrete action.”
Vijayendra accused the Chief Minister of showing negligence and delay in addressing the crisis. “The situation should not have reached a point where farmers were forced to take to the streets. The protest has now intensified, and instead of taking responsibility, the government is trying to shift the blame onto the Centre,” he said.
Clarifying on pricing mechanisms, Vijayendra pointed out that the Fair and Remunerative Price (FRP) is not decided solely by the Prime Minister. “It is determined after consultations with officials and experts from all states. Even if the Centre fixes the FRP, states are free to offer a higher State Advisory Price (SAP). The Chief Minister should approach the issue with humanity,” he urged.
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Compromised PM didn't sign trade deal with US, but a bargain for Adani's release: Rahul
New Delhi (PTI): Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of signing a trade deal with the US only to secure the "release" of billionaire businessman Gautam Adani.
"Compromised PM did not strike a trade deal, but a bargain for Adani's release," Gandhi said in a post in Hindi on X, after reports that the US has agreed to settle the lawsuit that accused Adani of hiding alleged bribery.
The US government has agreed to settle the lawsuit filed against Adani, who is accused of duping investors by concealing that his company's huge solar energy project in India was being facilitated by an alleged bribery scheme, according to court filings published Thursday.
Reacting to the reports, Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said it was now clear why the PM agreed to the "hopelessly one-sided Indo-US trade deal that was really a steal by the US".
"And it is also clear why he abruptly halted Operation Sindoor on May 10, 2025, acting on President Trump's threats rather than on our national interest. Reportedly, the Trump Administration is about to drop all charges of corruption against Modani," he said on X.
"How much more compromised can the PM get?" Ramesh asked.
In the lawsuit filed in late 2024, the Securities and Exchange Commission accused Adani Group Chairman Gautam Adani and his nephew Sagar Adani, who is a director at the group's renewable energy unit Adani Green Energy Ltd, of agreeing to pay about USD 265 million in bribes to Indian government officials between approximately 2020 and 2024 to obtain lucrative solar energy supply contracts on terms that expected to yield USD 2 billion of profit over 20 years.
It was alleged in the lawsuit that Adani Group raised USD 2 billion in loans and bonds, including from US firms, on the backs of false and misleading statements related to the firm's anti-bribery practices and policies.
The ports-to-energy conglomerate had denied the allegations.
