CM Yadav flags off 1101 tractor rally, launches 2026 as farmers welfare year

Bhopal: Chief minister Mohan Yadav on Sunday launched the Krishi Kalyan Varsh 2026 (Farmers Welfare Year 2026) with a tractor rally at the Jambooree Maidan in Bhopal, and later flagged off a procession of 1101 decorated tractors.Farmers arrived in thousands of tractors to attend the convention and the rally held to start the state govt's targeted year for development of farmers and betterment of their lives.Addressing the gathering, the chief minister said, "Today, the whole country is witnessing the Somnath Swabhiman Parv. A thousand years ago, the attack by Mahmud of Ghazni on Somnath temple tried to challenge our faith, but through the 1000 years we kept our faith in God alive and Somnath temple today is talking with the gods again."Chief minister Yadav argued that the enemies wanted to demolish the faith of India and Sanatan culture. He said that people must pay tributes to Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel for his determination to recontruct the Somnath temple. "Prime Minister Narendra Modi has made the celebration of our faith twice as much," the chief minister said. "This is the real meaning of Azadi (independence) --- not just for the citizens, but also for development and our faith," he said."The pain that we suffered a thousand years ago was removed by Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel. And then after 500 years of struggle, through a Supreme Court the Ram Mandir has been constructed by Prime Minister Modi. The whole country immersed in joy," Mohan Yadav said.Launching an attack on the Congress party, the chief minister said, "The Supreme Court had also taken the decision of triple talaq. But Congress reversed it which we must say unfortunately, pushed our Muslim mothers and sisters into the same hell which they could have been saved from. It was again Prime Minister Modi who took the initiative and took them out of the crisis because all sisters are the same, whether Hindu or Muslim."The chief minister recalled that PM Modi has divided castes into four categories – the poor, women, youth and farmers. "For the sons of Mother Earth, our farmers, we will dedicate the entire year from today for their development. The launch is being made a day before Vivekananda Jayanti (birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda). It is our pledge to take you ahead in the road of development," he said.He argued that previously, there was only one agriculture department that dealt with the agrarian sector. "But now, we have selected 16 allied departments, and all these will work together for the betterment of the lives of farmers," he said.About the tractors that came for the launch of the Year of the Farmers, the chief minister said, "I was watching from the helicopter and my eyes saw only tractors all the way. These were only the tractors without the trolleys. If the trolleys were added, then it would have covered the whole Hoshangabad Highway."The chief minister, wearing a saffron turban, got into a tractor and drove with the farmers for a short distance. MLA from Huzur assembly seat Rameshwar Sharma was perched on the tractor beside him while minister for agriculture Aidal Singh Kansana sat behind the chief minister. State BJP president Hemant Khandelwal was also present during the event.