PM Modi addressing Kisan Rally in Muktsar, Punjab
Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a blistering attack on Wednesday at the Congress accusing the Rahul Gandhi-led party of betraying the farmers for 70 years. Addressing the Kisan Kalyan rally in Malout of Punjab's Muktsar district, PM Modi said the Congress used farmers as mere vote bank by making false promises all for decades.
PM Modi said the Congress and other Opposition parties are now losing their sleep as the NDA government is working to let farmers sleep in peace and progress. Asserting that his government is committed to empower the farmers of the country, PM Modi said Congress neglected the agriculture sector completely during its rule.
WATCH: What PM Modi said
Highlights of PM Modi's speech:
02:12 pm: Every year, farmers face issue of burning crop residual which cause pollution not only in Punjab but in Haryana and Delhi too. This government has launched a scheme in which farmers are no longer required to burn crop wastage. I also appeal to all farmer brothers not to burn crop residual but use it as manure: PM Modi
02:03 pm: During the Congress rule, there was severe scarcity of urea, water for irrigation but our government is providing urea at minimum rate to farmers. Several irrigation scheme have been launched to help the farmers: PM Modi
02:01 pm: The government is committed to help the farmers of the our country. 15 crore soil health cards have already been issued to farmers across the country. Our government approved setting up of 9 thousand labs for soil testing, the previous government constructed only 40-45 labs. Congress spent just Rs 50-55 crore for the farmers, while BJP invested Rs 1200 crore to test the agricultural lands for better produce, says PM Modi.
01:59 pm: The Congress is nervous by the numerous developmental works carried out by the government and has now resorted to false allegations, says PM Modi in Malout.
01:57 pm: The steps taken by the Central government for the farmers have benefited the agricultural sector: PM Narendra Modi
01:52 pm: Not only in Punjab, but farmers across all states in the country are going to benefit a lot from the schemes that have been introduced by the Central government, says PM Narendra Modi in Malout in Muktsar, Punjab.
01:50 pm: BJP has allowed One Rank One Pension. The Congress never thought about providing any benefits to the farmers: PM Narendra Modi
01:47 pm: Congress, for 70 years, made commitments, but did not do anything for the farmers. They only thought about their own family. Congress used farmers as their vote bank and the present Central government has worked hard to change that situation.
01:46 pm: Congress only saw farmers as vote bank and always betrayed them: PM Modi.
01:45 pm: Congress only worked to uplift one family all these years. It neglected farmers and common people of the country, says PM Modi.
01:40 pm: Punjab has always inspired rest of the country, says PM Modi in Punjab's Malout.
01:35 pm: Prime Minister Narendra Modi reaches Malout in Muktsar to address Kisan Kalyan Rally. PM Modi begins his speech with famous salutation "Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh".
PM Modi's 'Kisan Kalyan Rally' came days after the BJP-led NDA government decided to increase MSP of Kharif crops for 2018-19.
The Central government on July 4 approved the proposal to hike MSP by 50 per cent for 14 Kharif crops.
MSP is referred to a price at which the government buys crops from the farmers, to protect agriculture producers from fall in farm prices.
