Union Minister Meenakashi Lekhi on Thursday withdrew her comment on calling the protesting farmers “Mawali”, saying her words had been “misinterpreted”.
“My statement has been misinterpreted. If my comments, which are associated with farmers, have hurt someone, then I take back my words,” said the BJP MP from the New Delhi constituency.
– Meenakashi Lekhi (M_Lekhi) July 22, 2021
Lekhi, Minister of State in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Culture, had called the protesting farmers “Mawali” after reaching Jantar Mantar in Delhi for the “Parliament of Kisan”.
At her press conference at BJP headquarters, a reporter pointed out that “farmers” attacked a cameraman when he was reporting on their protests at Jantar Mantar. She said, “You should stop calling them farmers because they aren’t farmers.”
She continued, “You are playing in the hands of a few conspirators. The farmers don’t have time to sit in Jantar Mantar. They work on their farms.
She also cited the violent incidents in the state capital during the farmers’ protests on January 26, saying these protesters should not be called farmers.
When asked about the attack on the camera person who works with a leading Hindi news channel, and about the January 26th incident, she replied, “They call them farmers again. They are Mawali.”
While their remarks caused a sensation, the opposition camps launched a devastating attack on Lekhi.
Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Derek O’Brien hit her and said, “You can say anything at the BJP press conference. People will pull you down if they vote. “
Punjab’s Prime Minister Amarinder Singh called for Lekhi’s immediate resignation. He said: “Lekhi has no right to” slander “the farmers in this way. The BJP has no right to condemn the farmers in such an outrageous way for the incident.”
(With PTI inputs)
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