Farmers 'spine' of country, but govt ignoring their woes: Sanjay Raut

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Terming farmers as the country's 'spine', Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut on Wednesday said it is unfortunate that the central government is 'ignoring' the plight of peasants.

Talking to reporters here on the occasion of the National Farmers' Day, Raut, without taking any names, alleged that attempts are being made to weaken cultivators to benefit some industrialists.

Amid the ongoing protest by farmers at Delhi's border points against the Centre's three new farm laws, Raut urged the Union government to shun ego and talk to the peasants.

He said the National Farmers' Day being observed on Wednesday is a 'black day' for cultivators.

'Farmers are the spine of our country, but attempts are being made to weaken them to benefit some industrialists,' the Rajya Sabha member alleged.

He claimed 12 farmers have died so far during the ongoing protest.

'Keep your ego aside and talk to farmers. This is a request with folded hands,' he appealed to the Centre.

Farmers are protesting on the outskirts of Delhi and elsewhere, he noted.

'The government is not looking at farmers' interests.

It is unfortunate that the government is ignoring the plight of farmers,' the Shiv Sena's chief spokesman alleged.

The Centre wanted to implement the new agri laws for the benefit of some industrialists, he further charged.

Thousands of farms have been protesting at the border points of Delhi since November 26 over their demand for a repeal of the Centre's three new farm laws.

Enacted in September, the three farm laws have been projected by the central government as major reforms in the agriculture sector that will remove the middlemen and allow farmers to sell anywhere in the country.

However, the protesting farmers have expressed apprehension that the new laws would pave the way for eliminating the safety cushion of Minimum Support Price (MSP) and do away with the mandi system, leaving them at the mercy of big corporates.

The government has repeatedly asserted that the MSP and mandi systems will stay and has accused the opposition of misleading the farmers.