Congress asks why PM Modi has ‘broken’ promise on MSP

NEW DELHI: The Congress on Saturday asked why Narendra Modi has “broken” his promise of giving legal sanctity to a minimum support price for crops and why he prioritises his politics over the country’s daughters, as the prime minister hits the campaign trail in Haryana.

Referring to the protest by women wrestlers from Haryana, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh alleged that the prime minister did not take action against his party’s MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, who is accused of “molestation” by the women wrestlers.

“Today’s questions for the outgoing prime minister in Haryana: Why has the prime minister broken his promise of legal MSP for farmers? Will Prime Minister Modi always prioritise his politics over India’s and Haryana’s daughters? Why do atrocities on Dalits pick up in BJP-ruled states like Haryana?” he asked in a post on X.

Referring to the farmers’ demand for legal guarantee on a minimum support price (MSP) for crops, Ramesh alleged that Haryana’s farmers have completely lost trust in the “duplicitous Modi sarkar”.

When the farmers’ protests were called off in 2021, they left after being reassured by the prime minister and his government that their demands would be met, Ramesh said.

“However, over time, the Modi sarkar’s dialogue with farmers’ organisations slowed down and the BJP appointed a biased committee to deliberate on the MSP question, from which one independent member had quickly resigned. After this betrayal, farmers’ organisations were forced to take the streets once again to make their voices heard,” he said.

“Instead of listening to them, the Modi sarkar lathi-charged and tear-gassed them. Last year, Haryana’s farmers struggled due to unseasonal rains and storms that caused widespread crop damage. Why has the Modi sarkar continued to ignore their plight?” he asked.