Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge with party leader Rahul Gandhi at a public meeting during the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, in Ambikapur, Tuesday, February 13, 2024.
Credit: PTI Photo
New Delhi: Amid a standoff between farmers and the union government, Congress on Tuesday promised to provide legal guarantee to Minimum Support Price (MSP) for crops if the I.N.D.I.A. alliance assumes power after the Lok Sabha election.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and former chief Rahul Gandhi made the promise at a rally during the 'Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra' in Chhattisgarh's Ambikapur where they also condemned the police action against farmers' 'Dilli Chalo' agitation.
"If the INDIA alliance comes to power, it will provide legal guarantees to MSP to them," Rahul said while Kharge added, "this is our first guarantee...not only will there be the legal guarantee for the MSP, other problems faced by the farmers will also be resolved."
Kharge said the Congress had always taken steps to safeguard the interests of the farmers and that during ten years of the UPA rule, Rs 72,000 crores worth of farmers’ debt was waived off. Modi has not waived off a single penny, he added.
On the farmers' protest, he said, "the farmers who have been fighting for their rights, iron spikes were laid on the road and cement walls were placed to stop them. What kind of democracy is this? Can't anyone fight for their rights?"
He also targeted the BJP campaign around “Modi guarantee” while asking what happened to the old guarantees like doubling the income of farmers, providing two crore jobs every year or depositing Rs 15 lakhs each in every Indian’s bank account.
Rahul said farmers heading towards Delhi are being stopped, tear gas shells are being used on them, and they are being lodged in jails. They are just demanding that they should get a better return for their hard work and farm produce, he said.
On MSP, which is one of the demands of the protesting farmers, he referred to the MS Swaminathan Commission report and said the I.N.D.I.A bloc will honour all the recommendations in the report if voted to power
Later, Rahul posted on 'X', "farmer brothers, today is a historic day! The Congress has decided to give legal guarantee of MSP to every farmer on crops as per the Swaminathan Commission. This step will change the lives of 15 crore families of farmers by ensuring their prosperity. This is the first guarantee of the Congress on the path of justice."
Congress General Secretary (Communications) Jairam Ramesh said, "today, the party that laid the foundations of the Green Revolution and the White Revolution has made another historic and revolutionary announcement in favour of farmers and farmer families. With the support of the people, our vision will soon become reality