Photo Source; Babushahi Bureau

Kejriwal, Mann lead Gujarat Mahapanchayat: Slam BJP’s governance, vow justice for farmers

In Gujarat, the BJP’s pro-rich government exploits farmers; in Punjab, we nurture their fields: Arvind Kejriwal

Babushahi Bureau

Modasa (Gujarat), July 23, 2025: In a strong solidarity with Gujarat’s farmers and cattle-rearers, AAP National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal and Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann attended a massive Mahapanchayat in Modasa, ripping into the BJP’s arrogant and corrupt regime in the state.

Calling the current government a puppet of the rich, the AAP Chief pointed out that the Prime Minister flies abroad to secure contracts for Adani while unleashing police batons on farmers demanding bonuses at home.

“This is not a government of the people — it is a government for billionaires. The poor and farmers get only lathis,” Arvind Kejriwal said, slamming the BJP for offering no compensation to the family of the cattle-rearer who died in the recent crackdown.

“Their arrogance of power will be broken by the fury of the people. The martyrdom of this farmer has already begun their countdown,” Arvind Kejriwal declared.

During this, AAP Gujarat Prabhari Gopal Rai, State President Isudan Gadhvi, MLA Gopal Italia, State General Secretary Manoj Sorathiya, and leaders from the Gujarat State unit were also present.

Addressing a massive gathering, AAP National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal stated, “Today, the land of Sabarkantha is raising its voice. It is asking for justice. It is demanding its rightful share. It is seeking dignity and respect.”

Referring to the recent events at Sabarkantha Dairy, he said, “Just a few days ago, a deeply painful and tragic incident took place. When a large number of cattle-rearing farmers went to the government to protest and demand their rights, this corrupt, cruel, and merciless government unleashed ‘lathicharge’ on them. Tear gas shells were fired at them. In that police action, one of our poor cattle-rearing farmer brothers, Ashok Chaudhary, lost his life. He is no longer with us.”

Calling the government’s behaviour disgraceful, Arvind Kejriwal continued, “This government is utterly rotten. I came to know about this incident while I was in Delhi — that a farmer had died while protesting. I immediately spoke to Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann. Bhagwant Mann is the son of a farmer himself. His family still practices farming in Punjab. Our AAP government in Punjab has done remarkable work for farmers. And as soon as we heard what had happened, without delay, we booked our tickets and came here to meet you and stand in solidarity with you.”

Explaining why the farmers were protesting, the AAP Chief shared, “Their demands were simple — at the end of every financial year, they receive a share of the profit, commonly called ‘nafa’ or bonus. It is their due. Every year, in the month of June, these poor farmers are given their share of the profit — their bonus, their commission. This time too, in June, the Gujarat government declared a 9.5% profit share. But that money hasn’t reached the farmers yet. They haven’t received a single rupee. Normally, by June, the full amount is deposited in their accounts.”

Highlighting the plight of the farming community, he said, “These ‘khedut’ (farmer) brothers are not wealthy people. They are poor. With this money, they buy seeds, purchase fertilisers, pay their children’s school fees, and run their homes. They plan their entire season around that payment. But when June came and they didn’t receive that money, it shook their lives. I looked into past figures — in 2020-21, they were given 16% bonus. In 2021–22, they received 17%. In 2022–23, again 16.5%. In 2023–24, it was back to 17%. And this year — suddenly — just 9.5%. Where did the rest of the money go?”

Posing tough questions to the ruling party, Arvind Kejriwal said, “Where did all the money go? For the last five years, these hardworking farmers were getting 16–17% bonus. This year, only 9.5%? That money has built lavish palaces. It’s sitting in Swiss bank accounts. It’s being blown away on their party's election rallies. These people have looted the money meant for the poor farmer brothers and used it to buy expensive cars, build giant mansions, charter helicopters, and purchase private jets. And all of it — from your pockets.”

Referring to the tragic loss, he said, “Ashok Chaudhary died on 14th July. And even after such a heartbreaking incident, this government refused to listen. Even after his death, they didn’t increase the dairy bonus. Even after such a tragedy, they did not give you your due. They didn’t move. They didn’t budge.”

Pointing to a clear timeline, Arvind Kejriwal said, “On 18th July, at 12 noon, Isudan Gadhvi held a press conference and announced that Arvind Kejriwal and Bhagwant Mann will visit you on 23rd July. On the very same day, just three hours later — at 3 PM — the government suddenly declared that they will now give a 17.50% bonus. But even now, not a single rupee has been paid. This is nothing but a fake announcement, a desperate lie. They’ve made this claim just to silence you, but the money has not reached your accounts. Nothing has been given so far.”

Calling out the ruling party’s greed, the AAP Supremo added, “We have come here today to tell you — these people looted your money and built palaces for themselves. And yet, you don’t even have a roof over your head. Isudan Gadhvi was telling me — he visited Ashok Chaudhary’s home. He was a very poor farmer.

His house doesn’t even have a proper roof. And the same people who snatched his money are organising lavish rallies, buying luxury cars, building mansions, and flying in helicopters. They will suffer for this. Their sins will not go unpunished. They will rot in hell.”

Questioning the state of democracy in Gujarat, Arvind Kejriwal said, “I want to ask you — aren’t we living in a democracy? Isn’t this a democratic country? In a democracy, people elect governments. If our dairy farmers and cattle-rearing brothers were protesting for their rights, shouldn’t the government have sat with them? Shouldn’t the government have spoken to them? Shouldn’t there have been dialogue instead of bullets? Instead of lathis and tear gas? What kind of arrogance is this? This is the arrogance of being in power for 30 years. They believe Gujaratis have no other option — that you’ll vote for them no matter what. But they should have spoken to you.”

Expressing deep disappointment, he emphasised, “What shocked me even more is that Ashok Chaudhary, who gave his life fighting for the rights of farmers brothers — to this day, he has not been given any compensation. Not even a single rupee has been paid to his family. Nothing.”

Demanding justice and compensation, Arvind Kejriwal said, “From this stage today, I demand that ₹1 crore each be given by the dairy and the Gujarat government to the family affected by the tragic incident. But instead of offering compensation or standing with the grieving, the state has chosen repression. Ever since this tragedy occurred, officials have been going door to door in villages, trying to silence, threaten, and intimidate the farmer brothers.”

Pointing to the atmosphere of fear and suppression in North Gujarat, he said, “Every farmer brother in this region is also a cattle rearer. If these hardworking farmers were simply given their rightful dues, their poverty could end. I have studied this issue in depth. The cooperative sector — which was meant to empower farmers — has now been hijacked. The BJP has captured the entire cooperative network, including dairies, snatching away what rightfully belongs to the farmers. Farmers no longer run cooperatives. BJP leaders have taken control and turned them into tools for loot and exploitation.”

Raising the issue of systemic corruption in the dairy sector, Arvind Kejriwal said, “I was told that when a cattle rearer milks his animals and brings the milk to the collection centre, his payment is determined by the fat content of the milk. But the machines used to measure fat are tampered with — they’re faulty by design. Even if the fat content is 7.5%, the machines will falsely show 7%. And the rest of the money — crores and crores of rupees — is pocketed by those in power. They steal from poor cattle rearers by reducing fat readings by half a point, or more — and use that stolen money to fund their election campaigns.”

Coming down heavily on the BJP, he said, “This is a government that serves the rich. This is a government that works for Adani. When Adani wants a contract anywhere in the world, the Prime Minister personally visits and secures it for him. But when a poor cattle rearer in Gujarat demands his rightful share, tear gas shells are fired at him. What kind of justice is this?”

Highlighting AAP’s position, Arvind Kejriwal added, “AAP is the party of the poor. AAP is the party of farmers. AAP is the party of labourers and common people. We will fight for your rights. The moment we heard about what had happened, I came straight from Delhi and Bhagwant Mann came directly from Punjab. We are here today to assure you that we stand with you. We will fight for your rights, we will fight for your dignity, and we will not rest until justice is delivered. The next time bullets are fired, let them hit Kejriwal first — only then will they reach the farmers.”

Sharing the work done by AAP in Punjab, he said, “Our government in Punjab has worked extensively for farmers. Before our government was formed in 2022, only 20% of Punjab’s farmland had access to irrigation water. In just three years, we’ve expanded that to 60%. And by next year, 90% of fields will receive irrigation. We’ve also made electricity for farming free of cost — farmers in Punjab get eight hours of uninterrupted power during the day. Has that happened here in Gujarat? Our government in Punjab has done it. We are working relentlessly for farmers there.”

Making it clear that this is not just about milk, he said, “This is not merely a fight for milk. This is a fight for justice, a fight for dignity, a fight for your rightful place in society. Let’s not forget — 40 years ago in 1985, the Congress party formed a government with a thumping majority of 149 seats. And what did they do with that power? Within two years, they grew arrogant and fired bullets at farmers. Ten farmers were killed. Since then, Congress has never returned to power in Gujarat. Today, BJP stands at the same point — their countdown has begun.”

Arvind Kejriwal continued, “The sacrifice of Ashok Chaudhary will not go in vain. Just like the people of Gujarat once uprooted Congress, they will now uproot BJP. Gujarat is demanding change. Gujarat is demanding transformation. Until now, Gujarat never had a real alternative. But today, BJP and Congress are running a coalition in disguise — there has been no real Opposition in the state. That changes now. Aam Aadmi Party is the new Opposition in Gujarat. We will be your voice and fight for your rights.”

Responding to Rahul Gandhi’s recent remark, he said, “A few days ago, Rahul Gandhi came here and said, ‘There are two kinds of horses — wedding horses and racehorses.’ Let me respond — all Congress leaders are wedding horses, and the AAP is full of racehorses. We are lions. Every one of our leaders — Isudan Gadhvi, Gopal Italia, Manoj Sorathiya, Chaitar Vasava, Mahesh, Mukesh— they are all lions. And if BJP thinks it can scare us, it’s mistaken.”

Calling out BJP’s vendetta politics, Arvind Kejriwal said, “Just look at how they arrested Chaitar Vasava and threw him in jail. What was his crime? He’s an honest man, a respected tribal leader, loved by the entire Adivasi community. They put him behind bars without reason. Do they think we’ll be scared? They kept me in jail for a year. They arrested our Manish Sisodia. What do they think — we’ll bow down? Jail us for ten years, jail us for life — we are followers of Bhagat Singh. We are not afraid.”

Concluding with a call to action, Arvind Kejriwal said, “They’ve been in power for 30 years. Now they’re intoxicated with arrogance. But the time for change has come. The key is in your hands. You now have a real choice. Do not fear. Stand united. All of us must now come together and confront the BJP head-on. AAP stands firmly with you — and together, we will fight for Gujarat’s future.”

*BJP is trying to intimidate farmers by filing FIRs against them: Bhagwant Mann*

During this, Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann said that dairy farmers had gathered at Sabarkantha’s Sabar Dairy to demand fair prices and a bonus for their milk. Instead of listening to them or engaging in dialogue, the government responded with tear gas shells and bullets—killing a poor farmer in the process.

Following the crackdown, 82 people were booked under FIRs in an attempt to instill fear and prevent them from coming together again. “This is the next stage of dictatorship,” Mann said. “But now the AAP is here, and we stand with the people of Gujarat. There are countless FIRs against us too, but let me tell them—your paper will run out, our people will not.”

The Punjab CM expressed deep concern over the lack of real opposition in Gujarat for the past 30 years. “The Congress is not an opposition—it’s hand in glove with the BJP. If it truly were an opposition, it would’ve stood with the farmers and dairy producers. Then there would’ve been no need for us to come from Delhi and Punjab,” he said.

He noted that while people in Gujarat are disillusioned with the BJP, they have been forced to vote for it due to a lack of alternatives. “Now the Aam Aadmi Party has created a new path. Just like in Punjab, AAP will form the next government in Gujarat too,” he asserted. “In Punjab, the two parties were colluding. In Gujarat, it’s worse—both are looting the people in broad daylight through cooperative societies. We know how the loot is being orchestrated.”

Bhagwant Mann also took a jibe at the much-hyped ‘Gujarat Model’, saying it was a hollow promise. “We were shown a shiny image of Gujarat. But the 90-km stretch from Vadodara to Modasa takes four hours to cross. There are no potholes on the roads—there are roads inside the potholes. The BJP sells a glittery image from the outside, but everything inside is rotten.”