(MENAFN- IANS) Bhubaneswar, Aug 18 (IANS) Senior Biju Janata Dal (BJD) leaders have slammed the Odisha government and the BJP-led Centre over their handling of ongoing farmer protests in Bargarh, alleging gross negligence toward agricultural issues and accusing the Election Commission of political bias.

Addressing the media, veteran BJD leader Prasanna Acharya slammed the government's alleged apathy toward farmers who, he said, are being forced to take to the streets to demand what is rightfully theirs.

“Those who feed the nation should not be made to fight for their basic rights. The state and central governments are turning a blind eye to their suffering,” Acharya said.

He listed several critical concerns raised by protesting farmers, including: Simplifying the registration process for procurement, ensuring the timely supply of fertilisers and controlling black marketing, prompt lifting of paddy from procurement centres, timely payments to farmers, ending arbitrary deductions in grading and sorting, which, according to him, deprive farmers of essential input subsidies.

Acharya also questioned the impartiality of the Election Commission, stating that the constitutional body is behaving like a political tool rather than an independent institution.

“It is unfortunate that the Commission appears to be acting as an agent of a political party. This raises serious concerns about its neutrality,” he said.

Echoing Acharya's sentiments, senior BJD leader and former minister Pratap Jena extended full support to the farmers' agitation in Bargarh and launched a scathing attack on the "double-engine government," accusing it of letting down the state's agricultural sector.

“Under then Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik's leadership, farmers' welfare was always prioritised. Odisha became the first state to create a separate agriculture budget, undertook significant reforms, and received the Krishi Karman Award five times,” Jena noted.

He alleged that in the last 14 months, farmers have faced continued neglect. New registration rules have sparked confusion and delayed procurement, he alleged.

Despite the BJP's 'No cut, no deduction' promise, deductions continue, and payments are delayed, he added.

There is an acute fertiliser shortage, with rampant black marketing, and farmers are being supplied with substandard seeds, further hurting productivity, he said.

Jena also revealed that the BJD has submitted a memorandum to the President of India, seeking immediate intervention to protect the rights of Odisha's farmers.

“This is not just a political issue. It is about justice for the people who sustain our nation. Until their concerns are addressed, our protest will continue,” he affirmed.

On the nomination of C.P. Radhakrishnan as the NDA's Vice Presidential candidate, Jena remarked that it was an internal matter of the BJP, adding that“the suffering of Odisha's farmers is a far more pressing concern for the BJD.”

He also dismissed allegations of voter list manipulation and so-called "vote theft" as political distractions.“Parties should stop misleading the public and instead focus on real issues - like the worsening condition of our farmers,” he remarked.

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