GHAZIABAD/BATHINDA: Farmers’ leaders on Monday reacted to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s assertion that minimum support price (MSP) would continue to remain in place by asking the government what stopped it from bringing a law to make MSP legally binding and extend it to 23 crops as per the Swaminathan formula.
Accusing the Centre of “confusing people” by its statement that MSP will continue to remain, Bharatiya Kisan Union’s Rakesh Tikait said: “If it’s that simple, why doesn’t the government bring a law that guarantees MSP? After all, this is one of our demands.” “We never said that MSP is being scrapped. But there is also no law that makes it legally binding on the government. In the absence of guaranteed MSP, influential traders are looting the farmers. We will not allow people to do business when we go hungry,” he added.
The BKU leader also sought to counter the government’s allegations that the agitation was being used as a platform by many political parties. “Politicians and their parties are supporting the farmers’ movement. But neither are they seeking votes here nor are they being allowed to make political statements.” Tikait asked.
Samyukta Kisan Morcha reacted to PM’s ‘andolanjeevi’ reference for farmers’ leaders, saying that they would like to remind him that it was ‘andolans’ (agitations) that had liberated India from colonial rule and they were “proud to be andolanjivi”. Senior farm leader Darshan Pal told TOI: “PM is indulging only in lip service. If the government is really concerned about ending the farm protest, it should come up with a new farmer-oriented proposal and create an atmosphere that is congenial for talks.”