PM Modi slams opposition parties, says farm laws were not brought overnight
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday slammed the opposition parties for spreading misinformation on the three farm laws. Addressing the farmers of Madhya Pradesh via video-conferencing, PM Modi said that the opposition parties in their election manifesto promised similar agriculture reforms. He urged the political parties not to mislead the farmers and emphasized they should get modernized in the changed global situation and not lag behind now as "time cannot wait".
He said that India's agriculture, India's farmer, can't live in backwardness anymore. PM Modi said that it is true that no matter how hard the farmer works, but if there is no proper storage of fruits-vegetables-grains, if not done properly, then he has to bear a huge loss.
"In the last six years, our government has worked keeping in mind the needs of farmers," he said, adding that people should seek replies from political parties who talked about agricultural reforms in their manifestos.
PM Modi's address to farmers | Key takeaways
- The government was ready "with our heads bowed, our hands folded, with humility" to allay any concerns over the issue.
- In the last 20-22 years, the Center and the state governments have deliberated on these agriculture reforms in detail.
- The new agriculture laws have not been drafted overnight but political parties, agriculture experts and progressive farmers have demanded it for a long time, said PM Modi.
- PM Modi stepped up his attack against the opposition parties, saying their problem is how Modi has done it and why Modi should get credit for it.
- I request all political parties with folded hands, please keep all the credit. I'm giving credit to all your old election manifestos.
- I just want ease in the life of farmers, I want their progress and want modernity in agriculture.
- PM Modi talked in detail about various provisions of the new farm laws, including minimum support price (MSP).
- The Prime Minister said the new laws will lead to the scrapping of MSP is the "biggest lie ever".
- No sane person will accept that MSP will be scrapped, nothing will be a bigger lie and conspiracy than this.
- PM Modi assured MSP for crops will continue.
- Even after all these government's efforts... if anyone has any concerns, then with our heads bowed, our hands folded, with humility, we are willing to allay their fears, PM Modi appealed.
- Farming in India should get modernized in the changed global situation and should not lag behind now as "time cannot wait".
He said that these agricultural reform laws did not come overnight, adding that every government has discussed it extensively for the last 20-22 years.
"Over last 20-30 years, central government and state governments had detailed discussions on these reforms. Agriculture experts, economists and progressive farmers have been demanding reforms," the PM said.
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"I request all political parties with folded hands, please keep all the credit. I'm giving credit to all your old election manifestos. I just want ease in the life of farmers, I want their progress and want modernity in agriculture," he said while addressing Kisan Kalyan event virtually.
He accused the opposition parties sat over the Swaminathan committee report for years.
"They didn't implement the Swaminathan Committee recommendations. We implemented its recommendations and giving MSP of one and a half times the cost to the farmers," he said.
The PM said "if we had to remove MSP, why would we implement Swaminathan Commission report? Our government is serious about the MSP, that's why we declare it before sowing season every year. This makes it easy for farmers to make calculations."
Thousands of farmers, mostly from Punjab and Haryana, are currently staying put at Delhi's borders with Haryana and Uttar Pradesh in protest against the Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020 and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020. They have expressed apprehension that these laws would pave the way for the dismantling of the minimum support price system, leaving them at the "mercy" of big corporations. However, the government has maintained that the new laws will bring farmers better opportunities and usher in new technologies in agriculture. The government argues that the three farm laws will remove the middlemen and allow farmers to sell anywhere in the country.
