"Should Pledge That Country's Unity Biggest Thing": PM Amid Farm Protests

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said the Budget spares the common man any tax hike, raises spending on health and infrastructure and provides benefits for farmers. Launching a programme to mark 100 years of the Chauri Chaura incident during India's freedom movement, PM Modi also emphasised on the country's pride and unity, a comment seen in the context of global tweets on the farmer protests.

"We have to pledge that the respect of the country is the biggest thing and also its unity. We have to move ahead with this pledge," PM Modi said, addressing a gathering virtually.

His comment comes a day after the government and many ministers put out sharp reactions following tweets, including one by pop star Rihanna, drawing global attention to the farmers' agitation.

PM Modi said Budget 2021 announced on Monday included a number of steps to improve the agriculture sector.

"The decisions have been taken to make farmers aatmanibhar (self-reliant) and make agriculture a profitable business," he said.

"We are ensuring that small land holdings of farmers are not taken away. This will directly benefit our small farmers."

The Prime Minister has used several forums in recent months to reach out to farmers who have pledged to continue their protests unless the farm laws were withdrawn.

"Our kisan (farmers) are our biggest adhar (base). Farmers had a big role in Chauri Chaura. In the last six, years we made continuous efforts towards improving the lot of farmers," he said.

"The country saw the results of those efforts during the corona crisis. Even in the pandemic, farmers showed record production."

The Prime Minister took a swipe at those he described as "diggaj (legends)" who had predicted higher taxes in the Budget to offset the losses because of the coronavirus crisis.

"But the government did not raise taxes and burden the common man. The government decided to spend more and more to widen roads, to integrate villages with cities and markets, to build rail tracks, to bring new buses, improve education."

When the government spent more on development, it would also create more jobs and job opportunities, he said.

"Our budgets earlier used to be a ledger for vote-banks. Previous governments made the Budget a means of announcing schemes that would never be fulfilled. Now the thinking has changed."

The PM launched a year-long effort to commemorate the Chauri Chaura incident of 1922. The Chauri Chaura incident occurred at Chauri Chaura in the Gorakhpur district of the United Province, (modern Uttar Pradesh) in British India on 4 February 1922, when a large group of protesters, participating in the Non-cooperation Movement, clashed with police, who opened fire. In retaliation, the demonstrators attacked and set fire to a police station, killing all of its occupants. The incident led to the deaths of three civilians and 23 policemen. Mahatma Gandhi, who was strictly against violence, halted the Non-cooperation Movement on the national level on 12 February 1922, as a direct result of this incident.