Canada PM’s farmer remarks hypocrisy, says Chauthaiwale

BJP Saturday slammed Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s support for the protesting farmers in India as “nothing but hypocrisy”, claiming Canada is a “strident critic” of MSP and other agriculture policies at the WTO.

BJP’s foreign affairs department in-charge Vijay Chauthaiwale tweeted: “Canada is a member of the Cairns Group of agri exporters, whose objective in WTO negotiations is to seek increased market access in countries like India. It seeks reduction in the agri subsidies provided to domestic producers, even if such subsidies are subsistence-level,” Chauthaiwale said.

“It also opposes import restrictions to protect India’s farmers. The questions posed by Canada to India regarding India’s agri policies in WTO are evidence of the fact that Canada has scarce interest in the genuine well-being of Indian farmers and agriculture producers,” he said.

Trudeau has extended his support to the agitating farmers.