Union Minister Prakash Javadekar says Indian farmers are happy with the agricultural laws. (Archive)
Highlight
- Prakash Javadekar challenged Rahul Gandhi to an open debate on agricultural laws
- “Some” farmers mistaken for their “political masters”, said Javadekar
- Farmers in India are happy with the farm laws, he said.
Chennai:
Union Minister Prakash Javadekar has alleged that “some” farmers protesting the recently enacted central laws were mistaken by their “political masters” and that they were painting a picture as if farmers across the country were with them.
Attacking Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for his criticism of farm laws, Mr. Javadekar said he “appears (in public) once every two weeks” and challenged him to an open debate on the central laws.
Farmers in India are happy with farm laws and other pro-farmer initiatives such as the PM Kisan plan, said the Minister of Environment and Information.
Addressing farmers at a meeting in Maraimalai Nagar, near Chennai, organized by the Tamil Nadu unit of the BJP, Mr. Javadekar claimed that farmers in Punjab had received more than double the amount as MSP during the rule of the NDA of what they had received in the previous UPA. regime.
“Punjab farmers have received more than double the amount they got as MSP every year during the congressional-led UPA rule. Their income has already doubled and they are experiencing it. Still, they are agitating because they are getting it wrong “said the minister said.
Farmers’ protest against farm laws has become a hot topic of debate across India because “some farmers and their political masters have launched their agitation in and throughout New Delhi, showing it as a phenomenon of all of India and in the interest of farmers. of India. “
“But farmers around the world are happy with the new laws and the farmers’ welfare plans will continue,” the minister said.
He assured that the contentious minimum support price (MSP) and the Agricultural Products Market Committee (APMC) will continue and stressed that the Modi government will “solidly support” farmers and the common man.
During his ten-year rule, Congress and the DMK had only extended Rs 53,000 crore as a one-time loan waiver to farmers and had not even implemented the MS Swaminathan Committee’s report on MSP, he alleged.
“This amount (53,000 crore rupees) was given to the banks and not to the farmers. But now Prime Minister Modi is depositing 2,000 rupees directly into the farmers’ bank accounts. Prime Minister Modi has already paid 1.20 rupees lakh crore directly to the bank accounts of the ryots (farmers), “said Javadekar.
This sum also included Rs 18,000 crore digital deposits to farmers of Rs 9 crore by the Prime Minister today, under the PM-KISAN scheme, said the minister who previously published a book “The Modi government protecting the farmers’ welfare “.
The first book was presented by BJP State President L Murugan.
Attacking Congress and his ally DMK, Mr. Javadekar said that although the Swaminathan committee report was presented in 2006, the UPA did not implement it, but PM “Modi accepted it.
Mr Javadekar said that Rahul Gandhi “has gotten into this” too.
“Rahul Gandhi has also gotten into this and rarely comes, he appears once every fortnight … suddenly he said that the laws must be withdrawn. I am giving him an open challenge for a debate, if the laws are good, ( are) in the interest of farmers or not. I will challenge Rahul Gandhi and the DMK for a debate, “said Mr. Javadekar.
Farmers in Punjab were “deliberately wrong” that their MSP would disappear after these laws, after which they have been protesting near Delhi for a month, he said. But their counterparts in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Telangana, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh, among others, were not agitated as they weren’t wrong, he added.
“There is no room for any misunderstanding or suspicion … we are solidly behind the farmers, behind the common man of the country,” said the minister.
.
