As the National Commission for Women (NCW) on Saturday said it has found atrocities being committed in Bhatta Pasaul village in Uttar Pradesh, the Bharatiya Janata Party maintained that the original problem of the farmers was being overlooked in the controversy.
“The irony is that the original problem is getting lost in the whole controversy, that is the inadequate compensation to the farmers,” BJP spokesperson Nirmala Sitharaman told IANS. Sitharaman said that only an independent inquiry can ascertain the truth of what happened in the village.
“NCW is a statutory body, they have found some facts and given a report, but what we are asking is for an independent inquiry. We are demanding a judicial inquiry in the action done by the state government,” she said. A violent clash erupted between police and farmers in Bhatta Parsaul village early in May that left four dead, including two policeman. The farmers were demanding greater compensation for their land acquired for development projects.
“We can't make a judgement on a report from a statutory body. We have been demanding a judicial inquiry.” The spokesperson added that the controversy surrounding the alleged rapes and murders has been created by Congress, in tandem with the ruling Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP). “The fear Congress has been building by exaggerating the figures is not fair, there is a match fixing between BSP and Congress,” she alleged.