Farmers Movement Archive

Cruel joke, says Punjab CM

Chandigarh: Punjab chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh on Monday described Centre’s hike in MSP for wheat and five other Rabi crops as paltry and a cruel joke on farmers amid growing apprehensions that the MSP regime would be abolished once the three agriculture marketing bills, passed in Parliament this month, are implemented. “This is callous. They have made a mockery of the farmers’ protests over the farm bills, which by all accounts will eventually pave the way for ending the minimum support price (MSP) system and abolish the Food Corporation of India,” he said in a statement. Amarinder said if the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre thought it would appease agitating farms with the hike, they did not understand the situation. “You can’t just throw crumbs at someone who may be on the verge of losing his livelihood as a result of your shameful actions,” he told the Centre. The farmers have been asking for a written guarantee that MSP will not be tampered with, but, instead, the Centre has handed out to them a measly offering, said Amarinder, adding that this once again showed how little the BJP and its allies, including SAD, knew farmers and their problems.

The Times of India

2020-09-22

Chandigarh