Modi calls farmer protests over contested laws politically motivated
- by Claude Bryan
- in Markets
- — Dec 26, 2020
Speaking to ANI, Tomar said that Agriculture Ministry has collated data that shows 70 lakh farmers would have benefitted PM Kisan Samman Nidhi had the Mamata government participated and allowed implementation of the scheme in the state, which was also pointed out by the Prime Minister earlier on Friday.
"This is not a political fight, this is not the BJP versus Congress fight, not opposition versus ruling party fight", he said.
Here is the detailed information about PM's today's interaction with farmers and about the event.
The PM-Kisan Samman Nidhi Scheme was launched in February a year ago. "Who will ensure that our crop is sold at fixed MSP if it is not there?" another leader asked.
In a blistering speech targeting the Opposition, Modi said when the agitation began farmers had some genuine demands like guaranteed minimum support price but people with political motives then took over and began making unrelated demands like the release of those accused of violence and making highways toll-free.
Ministers, chief ministers, MPs, MLAs and BJP leaders fanned out across the country to listen to Modi's address on live screens along with gatherings of mostly farmers, according to the party.
He also urged farmer leaders protesting against the laws to resolve the deadlock through talks. "The bitter truth is that the Modi government does not want to solve the farmers' problem", he claimed. "But it seems that the Prime Minister and his office are under pressure so that the laws are not repealed", claimed Kisan Sabha leader P Krishnaprasad. However, the protesting farmers have expressed apprehension that the new laws would pave the way for eliminating the safety cushion of the MSP and do away with the "mandi" (wholesale market) system, leaving them at the mercy of big corporates.
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Under the PM-KISAN scheme, a financial benefit of Rs 6,000 per year is provided to small and marginal farmers, payable in three equal installments of Rs 2,000 each.
The laws have exacerbated existing resentment from farmers, who often complain of being ignored by the government.
The All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee Friday demanded that the Centre arrange trains so that farmers from different parts of the country reach the ongoing protests at Delhi's border points, adding that they are ready to pay the cost of tickets for all peasants.
The Minister also attacked the opposition for "shooting their ideological gun" from the shoulders of farmers and harming them eventually. He, however, reiterated the government's offer for talks, saying that his government was ready to talk even with their staunch political opponents, but the talks could be held only within the realm of facts and issues. He again accused opposition parties backing the farm stir of paying lip service to the cause, saying they failed to act on the recommendations of commissions that proposed measures to hike farm incomes.
"Today, every farmer knows where he will get the best price for his farm produce".
The moment Hari Singh tried to say that he had sold his paddy for the MSP, Modi cut him short and congratulated him for the fact that he and his three brothers did joint farming and had not divided their land.
Singh appealed to all protesting farmers to come forward for discussions on the farm laws and if they want to rope in experts for discussions, the government is ready for that as well.
