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Madhya Pradesh Congress held a protest over the farmers' issue outside the residence of Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan in Bhopal on Wednesday.
State Congress President Jitu Patwari, along with farmers, had reached the Union Minister's residence carrying a sack filled with crops on his shoulder. Upon reaching the residence, the state Congress chief, along with farmers, also held a discussion with the Union Minister over several farmer issues. "Today, I went to the residence of Shivraj Singh Chouhan to address farmers' problems. In the last two days, eight farmers have committed suicide. During the assembly elections, you (Shivraj Singh Chouhan, the then CM) had given Modi guarantees about giving MSP of Rs 6,000 per quintal for soybean, Rs 3,100 for paddy, and Rs 2,700 for wheat. But not a single promise has been fulfilled. Farmers are burdened with debt and are being forced to commit suicide," Patwari told ANI. He further termed the Bhavantar scheme of the state government for soybean farmers a fraud, highlighting that Chouhan introduced the Bhavantar Scheme in 2017, but not a single penny was transferred to the farmers. "The BJP government is responsible for the farmers who are committing suicide. Our demand is that the farmers' condition is very weak, and each farmer should be given Rs 20,000. Also, the state government should procure soybean at a rate of Rs 6,000 per quintal, wheat at Rs 2,700, and paddy at Rs 3,100 per quintal. If the government fails to deposit Rs 20,000 in farmers' accounts and a farmer commits suicide, the government will be held responsible," Patwari added. Additionally, when asked about meeting with Chouhan, the Congress leader said that no assurance was given to them. The Union Minister appeared helpless and did not say a single word that could be appreciated. Meanwhile, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Chief Hemant Khandelwal criticised Patwari's move, saying the Congress leader reached the Union Agriculture Minister's residence without any prior information, and no responsible leader from any party would do this. "Today, Congress leader Jitu Patwari committed an act that no responsible leader from any party would do. He went to the Union Agriculture Minister's residence without any prior information and began staging a protest. I appreciate the Agriculture Minister, who, despite all this, received him respectfully and treated him with courtesy. Such behaviour is inappropriate for any leader. If there is any disagreement, there are proper ways to express it by informing and holdinga discussion. But staging such actions merely for publicity and attention is highly condemnable," Khandelwal told ANI. (ANI)
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