Congress dubs Centre, Haryana govt 'anti-farmer'

The Congress on Wednesday slammed the BJP governments at the Centre and Haryana, accusing them of being "anti-farmer" and breaking their promises every day.

The Congress' charge came after sunflower farmers in Haryana's Kurukshetra Shahbad were baton charged by the police while they were demanding an Minimum Support Price (MSP) for their produce.

Addressing a press conference here at the party headquarters, Congress leader Deepender Singh Hooda said: "The BJP once again showed its anti-farmer face yesterday by ordering a baton charge on farmers. Ten farmers have been injured and many have been detained. The brutality with which the baton charge was ordered by the government was in line with the brutality of the British rule."

The Rajya Sabha MP said that it wass clear that this government was not of the farmers, wrestlers and armed forces, but only of the rich.

"The government has changed the slogan of 'Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan' to 'pite kisan, jai dhanwan'. This is the slogan of BJP," he said, adding that the MSP is decided by the government and by the time of fixing it they want to ensure that the amount spent on farming is returned.

Deepender Singh Hooda, who is son of former Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda said: "Even the Swaminathan Report is yet to be implemented. The farmers have to protest over the three farm bills and more than 750 farmers lost their lives during their year-long protest. After that Prime Minister Narendra Modi came in front of the country and announced to take back the three farm laws. And even after one and half years the MSP is yet to be delivered."

He said that the committee for MSP was formed and there was no mention of MSP and only few select were part of the committee including bureaucrats and those who were not farmers.

"Yesterday's baton charge was a symbol of betrayal to the farmers' protest, as they were only demanding MSP on sunflower crop, it is also a symbol of anti-farmer face of BJP government and the symbol of baton rule by state government as there is no community or section who have not faced the baton rule of the government.

"This is symbol of their brutality. Government is breaking records of its own not fulfilling the promises," Deepender Singh Hooda said.

"We demand with the government for providing MSP to farmers, release the farmers detained, those injured must be given treatment and the MSP committee should be formed properly and give proper legal guarantee for MSP to farmers."

Hundreds of farmers on Tuesday blocked the national highway in Haryana's Kurukshetra district demanding the state government to withdraw its decision not to procure sunflower seeds on MSP and induct the crop under the Bhavantar Bharpai Yojana.

Some protesting farmers even tried to remove police barricades on the road.

The protest was led by Haryana BKU-Chaduni chief Gurnam Singh Chaduni.

The BJP-led state government had decided to stop the procurement of sunflower seed on the MSP and to procure it under the Bhavantar Bharpai Yojana at the rate of Rs 1,000 per quintal.

The farmers have been saying that they are selling the produce at Rs 4,000 per quintal to private buyers against the MSP of Rs 6,400. (IANS/NS)