Congress slams BJP for 'not fulfilling promises' made to farmer organisations

Jairam Ramesh. File Pic

The Congress on Thursday hit out at the BJP for not fulfilling the promises made to farmers' organisations and asserted that an INDIA bloc government will implement all its guarantees to the tillers, including the legal guarantee of MSP, reported news agency PTI.

Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh noted that elections have been held in 428 constituencies and now polling on 115 seats, including those in Punjab and Haryana, are left.

In a video statement on X, he said the farmers' movement has been going on in Haryana and Punjab since five years and though the government took back the "three black farm laws", it has "not fulfilled the promises" it made to farmer organisations.

"For the last five years, the Modi government has continuously ignored the farmers' movement of Haryana, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh. Atrocities were committed against the farmers. Now they are talking about snatching the MSP from the farmers of Punjab and Haryana for burning stubble," Ramesh said and asserted that the Congress strongly opposes this policy.

"Farmer justice will be the top priority for the incoming INDIA Janbandhan government," he said in a post in Hindi along with the video statement.

Ramesh said the Congress has given five concrete guarantees for the farmers in its Nyay Patra, including legal guarantee of MSP, based on the Swaminathan formula, and a permanent commission to effectively implement loan waiver plans.

The party has also given the guarantee for direct transfer of insurance payment within 30 days of crop loss, a proper import-export policy and removal of GST from everything necessary for farming, he said.

Meanwhile, farmers have assembled at Shambhu and other border points to mark the completion of 100 days of the ongoing protest to press the Centre to accept their demands, which includes a legal guarantee of MSP for crops, reported PTI.

The farmers are camping at the Shambhu and Khanauri border points since February 13 when their 'Delhi Chalo' march was stopped by security forces, reported PTI.

Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee leader Sarwan Singh Pandher said farmers gathered at Shambhu, Khanauri and Dabwali border points for the occasion, reported PTI.

Pandher accused the BJP-led central government of preventing them from heading towards Delhi to continue their protests and condemned the deployment of heavy police force at the border points between Punjab and Haryana, reported PTI.

The KMM leader said that the farmers wanted to pose questions to Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his Patiala visit on Thursday and if they are not given access, they will hold a dharna, reported PTI.

PM Modi will start his poll campaign in the state by holding his first rally in Patiala on May 23. Polling for 13 Lok Sabha seats in Punjab will be held on June 1.

(With inputs from PTI)