Congress targets Modi govt on farm distress, PM says confusion being spread about MSP

Expressing concerns over the increasing issues in the agriculture sector, the Congress attributed the problems to the "anti-farmer policies of the present NDA government."

Congress President Rahul Gandhi speaking at the 84 Plenary Session of AICC in Delhi. (Source: Twitter/INC)

The Congress on Saturday targeted the Centre on the increasing farm distress in the country and raised questions surrounding the budgetary provisions over Minimum Support Price (MSP). Addressing the party’s 84th plenary session, senior Congress leader Randeep Surjewala said, “I would like to ask Modi government, doesn’t the market distort when Nirav Modi, Mehul Choksi, Vijay Mallya and Jatin Mehta flee out of the country and does it only distort when farmers ask for Minimum Support Price?”

Taking a jibe at the Modi government, Surjewala said, “Modi Ji’s govt scrapped farmers’ Swaminathan Committee and replaced it with ‘Jumlanathan Committee’.”

The Congress also attributed the agrarian crisis to the “anti-farmer policies of the present NDA government.” “The farmers today face mounting indebtedness, non-remunerative prices for their crops, increasing the cost of production and declining agricultural credit, forcing many farmers to commit suicide,” said the party in an official release.

Follow Congress plenary session LIVE UPDATES Here

The party said that the agricultural growth during the Modi-led government has fallen to half of the growth levels achieved during the UPA government headed by Manmohan Singh, and added that the BJP is, “duping the farmers by making empty noises of doubling farm incomes by 2022.”

However, earlier today, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, speaking at the Krishi Unnati Mela 2018, said that confusion was being spread about the budget decision to fix MSP for crops, at least 1.5 times the production cost, and assured farmers that all major costs incurred will be included while declaring the support price.

Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram

Tags:
Rahul Gandhi