By IANS
Lucknow : The shutting of Reliance Fresh stores across Uttar Pradesh by Chief Minister Mayawati and her roll-back on a new contract farm policy is being seen as a big victory by key opponent and Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav, who had launched a vigorous campaign against it across the state.
Yadav, who lost power to Mayawati three months ago, was so crestfallen by his defeat that he lay low for a while. He made his first move out of political hibernation only after the Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance group launched its retail operations in Lucknow.
While expressing his criticism for Mayawati’s new farm policy aimed at throwing open contract farming in the state, the former chief minister also let loose his party-supported trader organisations to protest against the chain of Reliance retail outlets.
The new farm policy facilitates the entry of big retail players like Reliance into the agricultural sector in the state.
Even as the protests remained quite mild and largely in the form of a token demonstration Wednesday by Samajwadi Party MP Banwari Lal Kanchal, who also happened to be the head of the Uttar Pradesh Udyog Vyapar Mandal (traders’ association), Mayawati ordered the 10 Reliance Fresh stores in the state capital to be shut down.
Kanchal, who was arrested for the protest Wednesday afternoon, was revelling in the victory after the government announced closure of shops Thursday, following a cabinet meeting on the issue.
Clearly, it was a big win for the Samajwadi Party, whose general secretary Amar Singh was stated to have asserted in Delhi only a few days back that he would not allow Mukesh Ambani to carry out any business in the state.
The Samajwadi Party is elated over the closure of Reliance Fresh shops.
“We have compelled Mayawati to withdraw her anti-farmer policy and also to close Reliance stores that would have proved detrimental to the future of ordinary fruit and vegetable vendors,” Kanchal told IANS Thursday.
While Yadav was not available for comment, Samajwadi Party state chief Ram Saran Das declared: “Mayawati has been busy ransacking the state but had to bow down before the people’s anger against her policy meant to favour corporate giants at the expense of the poor farmer and humble vendors.”