Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Monday got furious in the Parliament after Rahul Gandhi, the leader of the opposition said that farmers are demanding Minimum Support Price (MSP), but the government is not providing it. After hearing this, Chauhan furiously demanded Gandhi prove his allegations, stating that the government was indeed purchasing crops from farmers at MSP.
Chauhan, clearly upset by Gandhi's claims, mentioned that the government has fixed MSP rates for 14 Kharif crops. He challenged Gandhi to disclose how many crops had MSP support during his party's rule, pointing out that no purchases were made at that time. Chauhan reiterated that the government continues to buy crops at MSP even now.
"Rahul Gandhi is trying to mislead the Parliament on MSP and he is presenting the wrong facts. Modi government is already giving MSP to farmers," Chouhan said in the Parliament.
Accusing Gandhi of making false statements, Chauhan insisted that everything Gandhi said should be verified. He accused Gandhi of lying and misleading the House about the MSP issue.
In response, Gandhi demanded a legal guarantee for MSP. He argued that mere promises were not enough and accused the government of instilling fear among farmers and creating a sense of insecurity among women due to inflation.
Notably, this is Shivraj Singh Chauhan's first session as a cabinet minister at the centre.
During the Lok Sabha's motion of thanks on the President's address, Gandhi fiercely criticised the Modi government. Gandhi targeted the government on various issues, including the Agniveer scheme and farmers' concerns. He accused the government of labeling farmers as terrorists. In response, Home Minister Amit Shah sharply countered him.