Chandigarh, 14 March
Former Education Minister and MLA Pargat Singh has accused the Modi government of being ready to sacrifice Indian agriculture for its own interests and of betraying the country’s farmers. He said that in the Lok Sabha, Opposition Leader Rahul Gandhi raised several serious questions concerning the nation’s farmers, but instead of answering any of them, the Modi government is evading them.
Pargat stated that every question Rahul Gandhi has raised in the Lok Sabha about the country’s farmers and agriculture is extremely important for the nation. The BJP government should answer all these questions. However, the central BJP government has always acted against farmers, and its policies have also proven to be anti-farmer. This includes the three black farm laws passed earlier as well as the current India-US trade agreement.
Pargat pointed out that in 2021, a question was asked regarding why the promise of C2+50% legal MSP to farmers had not yet been implemented. Instead of providing a direct answer, the Modi government merely repeated its old minimum support price (MSP) policy. Moreover, the government admitted in its response that it had pressured states to end the MSP bonus, which was justified under the name of “national priorities” without any proper reason.
Pargat further mentioned that Rahul Gandhi has raised another serious question concerning the country’s farmers. He asked whether the ongoing talks to reduce “non-trade barriers” in the trade agreement with the United States would weaken the MSP and government procurement system. The government has so far evaded answering this question as well.
The Congress party has always stood for farmers’ interests and consistently raised its voice on issues concerning the country’s farmers. Even now, protests are being held nationwide against the India-US trade deal. The movement will continue to cancel this deal, which could harm the nation’s agriculture and put farmers on the streets. He appealed to the people across the country to stand with Congress on this farmers’ issue.
