New Delhi: The Congress on Tuesday reminded Prime Minister Narendra Modi of his pre-2014 promises made to farmers saying he had strongly advocated that MSP be given to them as it was their right and now he is backing out.
Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera also condemned attempts by the authorities to gag the voice of protesting farmers by blocking their social media handles and asked why the government was afraid of farmers, asking whether they were functioning under any kind of external pressure to suppress the farmers. He further condemned the use of force against farmers and said they should be allowed to peacefully protest for their rights.
Showing Modi’s earlier tweet of April 2014 wherein he has strongly advocated and supported the MSP to farmers, Khera said he had then claimed that farmers should get MSP as their rightful claim.
The Congress leader said farmers are demanding only what Modi had been seeking for them 10 years ago.
The farmers seem to have taken Modi’s advice seriously, he said, adding “Chief Minister Modi is the Prime Minister’s worst critic”, suggesting that Modi as prime minister is opposing what he demanded and supported as the chief minister of Gujarat.
The Congress spokesperson condemned the attempts to malign the farmers to the extent of terming them as “anti-nationals”. He criticised the government directive for suspending various social media handles of the farmers and also suspending the internet services to prevent the spread of messages.
Khera suggested that if the rumour mongering is really to be prevented, then the BJP should first close its IT cell which he alleged is “infamous for spreading all sorts of rumours”.
He also suggested that Modi should take a cue from Jawaharlal Nehru on how he supported the agitating farmers during the Jaito Morcha, which was started exactly 100 years ago on February 21, 1924, in Jaito village of Punjab.
The Congress leader questioned the sincerity of the government in resolving the farmers’ issue pointing out that ministers engaged in talks with them were trying to frustrate them, with an obvious intent to demoralize them.
Reiterating his party’s commitment to farmers that the Congress government will bring in legal guarantee for MSP if it forms the government, Khera urged Modi to utilise the remaining few months of his government to concede to the demands of the ‘annadata’.
 |
 |
 |
 |