Opp misusing farmers as Govt wants to help kisan grow more earn more, says PM
A day after the Supreme Court suggested that the Centre should put on hold the three contentious farm laws and open talks with the agitating farmers, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday made another outreach to the farmers and said he is ready with folded hands to discuss their concerns.
The PM emphasised that the system of Minimum Support Price (MSP) will stay and “talk about MSP ending after the new laws is the biggest lie ever”.
“If anyone has any concerns, then with our heads bowed and our hands folded, with humility, we are willing to discuss with them and assuage their fears,” Modi said, addressing farmers in Madhya Pradesh via video as part of the Government’s redoubled efforts to reach out to farmers.
Modi said the Government is ready to alley farmers’ fears and maintained that “they are being misled by Opposition parties” who are supporting the protests to promote their own agenda.
“Agar hamain MSP samapt Karin hoti to hum Swaminathan Committee report kyon lagu kartain”, he said.
Seeking to dispel farmers apprehensions, Modi said, “It is six-month since the new farm laws have come into effect but not a single mandi has been shut down.”
“Phir ye jhoot kyon failaya ja raha hain?” asked the Prime Minister as he defended three farm reform laws.
Farmers have been asking the Modi Government to provide a written guarantee on the continuation of the MSP, apprehending that farm reforms which now allow trading, would gradually end the MSP and the mandi system.
Opposition is feeling slighted as “we have delivered on farm reforms”, said the Prime Minister.
Modi said Opposition parties are using you (farmers) to do politics to find relevance today, since they have lost their political ground. “They fear that Modi will get the credit for reforms. Please take the credit, for me, the only thing that matter is growth and progress for farmers,” he said.
Modi said all old manifestos of other parties said the same thing “what his Government has dared to implement”.
Without taking any name, the Prime Minister said Opposition parties are trying to take mileage from farmers’ protests.
He said farm reforms did not happen overnight, years of discussion and consultations have gone into it.
“In the new farm laws, the centre has only stated that whether the farmer sells his produce in the market or outside, it will be his will,” Modi said, adding that not a single market has been closed after the new laws were enacted.
“Today I want to expose those who have absolutely no care or genuine concern for you — our anna-daata (farmers). I want to caution all those who are being misled and instigated in the name of these farm laws,” the Prime Minister said.
It is the 20th day of protest by farmers on the outskirts of Delhi and agitators hope that the Government would take concrete steps to resolve the stand-off by walking the talk as the Government seeks farmers to not to press for scrapping the new laws.
Saturday, 19 December 2020 | PNS | New Delhi
