Farmers’ protest: Rahul Gandhi says lies being spread that MSP guarantee is not feasible

Farmers’ protest: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, backed the protesting farmers, and said that lies are being spread that MSP will be a burden on the budget, when it only amounts to an additional 0.4 per cent of the total budget. 

In a social media post in Hindi, Gandhi said that ever since Congress resolved to give MSP to farmers, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “propaganda machinery and friendly media” started spreading lies about MSP.

“Lie - It is not possible in the budget of the Government of India to provide legal guarantee of MSP.

Fact - According to CRISIL, there would be an additional burden of Rs 21,000 crore on the government in giving MSP to the farmers in 2022-23, which is only 0.4% of the total budget,”  said Gandhi.

Gandhi asked why expenditure on farmers is such a task in a country that has waived off Rs 14 lakh crore of bank loans and exempted Rs 1.8 lakh crore corporate tax. He said that MSP will ensure there is an increase in investment in agriculture and demand in rural India. Farmers will also get confidence to grow different types of crops, he said.

“Those who are spreading confusion on MSP are insulting Dr. Swaminathan and his dreams. With the guarantee of MSP, Indian farmers will not be a burden on the budget but will become the drivers of GDP growth,” he said, along with a clip of PM Modi at a BJP event where he is talking about providing the rate to farmers based on the Swaminathan formula. 

Rahul Gandhi’s post comes after the farmer leaders rejected the Centre’s proposal of procuring pulses, maize and cotton at MSP for five years. They said that the formula was not in the best interest of the farmers. The farmers will now resume the ‘Delhi Chalo’ march towards the national capital on February 21.

Besides a legal guarantee for MSP, the farmers are also demanding the implementation of the Swaminathan Commission's recommendations, pension for farmers and farm labourers, farm debt waiver, no hike in electricity tariff, withdrawal of police cases and "justice" for the victims of the 2021 Lakhimpur Kheri violence, reinstatement of the Land Acquisition Act - 2013, and compensation to the families of the farmers who died during a previous agitation in 2020-21.           

Also read: 'Rejected': Farmers' body turns down govt's MSP plan, Delhi march resumes on Feb 21