Congress govt to provide legal guarantee for MSP: Mallikarjun Kharge

Pic: PTI File

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday said that if his party returns to power, its government would provide legal guarantee to Minimum Support Price (MSP) for crops in the interest of farmers.

The statement comes amid farmers' 'Delhi Chalo' agitation. This was his party's first "guarantee" ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, he said.

Speaking during Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's 'Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra' in Ambikapur, the headquarter of Surguja district of Chhattisgarh, Kharge also targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying the people should not believe Modi's "guarantees", newswire PTI reported.

"I would like to announce from Chhattisgarh that legal guarantee to MSP with extensive procurement of crops for farmers as our guarantee (for upcoming Lok Sabha polls). If we come to power, then this guarantee will definitely be implemented. It is our first guarantee...," he said.

"The farmers who have been fighting for their rights (on the Delhi border), 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 asked.

One of the demands of the farmers participating in the 'Delhi Chalo' march is enactment of a law guaranteeing MSP for crops.

Kharge also claimed that private insurance companies earned a profit of Rs 40,000 crore in the last 10 years through the PM crop insurance scheme, and said, "Modi ji does not care about farmers and poor, rather he only pays attention to the rich."

He keeps on identifying himself as backward, poor and a tea seller, the Congress chief claimed.

"You (Modi) sell tea or anything else, but don't sell the country and PSUs," he added.

Modi does not remember the backward community when he gives ports, roads and mines to Adani, he added.

Kharge claimed that the BJP started using the 'Modi ki guarantee' term, copying the Congress which stormed to power in Karnataka and other states by giving guarantees.

"We call our promises as Congress' guarantee, but they call them as Modi's guarantee. He (Modi) always talks about himself. If a person has so much ego, then think whether he believes in democracy or not? He only works for himself and the person who works for himself is like a dictator and Hitler, not the one who believes in democracy," he said.

Modi gave the guarantee of depositing Rs 15 lakh into the bank accounts of every citizen, generating 2 crores of employment every year and doubling farmers' income, he said.

"Has he fulfilled them? The man who has spoken lies in 2014 and 2019, is again giving guarantees now. Don't trust in his guarantees. He has been working to finish the people and mislead them," he said.

"I have been saying he is 'jhuthon ke sardar' (chieftain of liars) and his promises are bogus. But some didn't understand it and today they have been facing trouble," he said.

Claiming that PM Modi's agenda is to abuse Congress, Kharge said, he sometimes abuses Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, and says a family has looted the country.

After Rajiv Gandhi, no member of his family either became a PM or a minister, Kharge said.

"He (Modi) tries to instigate people. But please don't fall in his trap otherwise democracy and the country will be destroyed," he said.

He accused the BJP of dividing the country.

"Modi ji and his government seeks votes in the name of OBCs, religion and God. Religion should not be brought into politics as people belonging to different faiths live in the country. By doing so, Modi ji wants to divide the country," he said.

He also targeted the newly-elected BJP government in Chhattisgarh for allegedly giving permission to chop off 15,000 trees for a coal mine project in the bio-diversity rich Hasdeo region.

"On Monday, Rahul ji met members of Hasdeo Bachao Andolan Samiti and assured to extend support to them," he added.

The Congress is the party of the poor, while the BJP is the party of the rich, he claimed (With inputs from PTI)