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We will not accept farmers being branded as traitors, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday said in the Bengal assembly after a resolution was moved for repealing the new farm laws.
The central government must repeal the farm laws or step down, she said while addressing the assembly.
"We oppose the anti-farmer laws. We demand their immediate withdrawal. Either the Centre should withdraw the laws or step down," the chief minister said.
Banerjee said the Union government, which has in the past, waived corporate loans, should also extend the same benefit to farmers.
The chief minister also placed the responsibility on the Delhi police for the situation getting out of hand, referring to the clashes that broke out between police and protesters on Republic Day during the farmers' tractor rally.
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She claimed the Delhi police "mishandled" the tractor parade.
"Delhi police is to be blamed for that. What was the Delhi police doing? It was a complete intelligence failure. We will not tolerate farmers being branded as traitors. They are the assets of this nation," she said.
Speaking after the resolution was moved by Parliamentary Affairs Minister Partha Chatterjee amid vociferous protests by BJP lawmakers, Banerjee demanded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi convene an all-party meeting to discuss the process of withdrawal of these laws.
The assembly witnessed unruly scenes in the morning after Chatterjee moved the resolution, with BJP MLAs led by their legislative party leader Manoj Tigga rushing to the Well of the House, claiming the TMC government has launched a "misinformation campaign" against the laws.
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Tigga, along with his party MLAs, subsequently walked out shouting ''Jai Shri Ram'' slogans.
Banerjee appealed to the Congress and the Left Front to keep aside ideological differences and come together in support of the farmers.
On Tuesday, Delhi Police used tear gas to disperse a group of protesting farmers and baton-charged groups who reached ITO area in central Delhi. The protesters breached the iconic Red Fort later in the day. The administration had to take the unprecedented step of suspending mobile Internet services in at least four parts of the National Capital Region.
