CONGRESS BETRAYED INDIAN FARMERS BY AGREEING TO ABOLISH MSP: CHUGH

Chandigarh, July 16 : Accusing Congress of adopting double standards over the issues of farmers, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) today alleged that the Congress led UPA government had in fact betrayed Indian farmers by agreeing to abolish the concept of Minimum Support Price of crops. Attacking Congress for asking its chief ministers not to attend the meeting of NITI Aayog on crucial issues including land bill, BJP National Secretary Tarun Chugh alleged that playing into the hands of foreign companies, the Congress and the UPA government had sacrificed the interests of over 40 crore Indian farmers by committing to the WTO that India would do away with the MSP. Chugh said, “By doing so, the Congress cheated on the farmers of this developing country and surrendered their interests to please the developed nations.” The BJP leader alleged that UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, AICC vice president Rahul Gandhi and former Commerce Minister Anand Sharma conspired to sell the interests of Indian farmers fully knowing that thirty one percent of the population depends upon farming while 51 percent earned their livelihood working as farm labourers. “How could they do so, knowing that the food for the common man comes through PDS which solely depends upon the produce of the farmers?”, he asked. Slamming UPA chairperson, AICC vice president and former Commerce Minister for bowing before the pressure of western countries and agreeing to abolish MSP, Chugh claimed that Anand Sharma, as Commerce Minister of the country had signed on the dotted line not caring for the future and financial safety of over 40 crore farmers. The BJP National Secretary claimed that it was BJP leader and new Commerce Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, who following the vision and determination of Prime Minister Narendra Modi got the decision reversed in the interest of nation and specifically in the interest of farmers. Criticising Congress chief ministers for not attending the important meeting only on political considerations and again ignoring the interests of farming community, Chugh said that this was the first time when a Prime Minister has chosen to include all the chief ministers in the federal decision making process. “It seems that the Congress has not been able to come out of the shock it suffered due to huge and humiliating defeat at the hands of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the last Lok Sabha elections. It is unfortunate that the Congress leaders want to punish the common man of the country who did not vote for them due to their corrupt practices and anti-people policies,” he said.