Speaking on the farmers’ issue for the first time since the Assembly poll results, Modi responded to the criticism that his government had not implemented the Swaminathan Committee report recommendation on farmers’ income.
Amid criticism that the intensifying agrarian crisis has played a significant role in the BJP’s electoral defeat in three key states, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday targeted the Opposition Congress for paying “lip service to farmers but ignoring their well-being” while stating that the BJP is the only party that “understands agricultural issues, stands for farmers and solves their issues”.
“We are not like the Congress, which will only pay lip service to farmers but ignore their well-being. Whenever Congress is in power, farmers suffer,” the PM said during a video interaction on NaMo app with party workers in Tamil Nadu.
Speaking on the farmers’ issue for the first time since the Assembly poll results, Modi responded to the criticism that his government had not implemented the Swaminathan Committee report recommendation on farmers’ income. “Did the Swaminathan Committee report not exist before? What stopped the previous government from implementing it?” Modi asked while responding to a question from a party worker on how to respond to criticism on the government’s failure in resolving the farmers’ crisis.
The PM’s remarks come at a time when the BJP has launched its hectic schedule for preparations ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.
With BJP leaders from the state pointing out that the Congress’s promises to the farmers and its attempt to address their concerns had helped the party woo the farming community, the PM said: “In Maharashtra, Congress was at the forefront of an irrigation scam.”
“A few days back, a top Congress leader from Punjab who has earlier served as the PCC chief said that the Congress government in Punjab is not serious about sugarcane farmers,” Modi said, adding that in Karnataka, where the Congress played an integral role in the decision on loan waiver, only 800 farmers got benefts. “Is it a joke? Is it how serious they are about farmers? If there is one party that understands the agricultural issues, always stand for farmers and solves their problem, it is the BJP.”
Terming his government the “most farmer friendly government in India”, Modi said, “Earlier farmers were lathicharged when they asked for urea, they got empty promises when they sought an increase in the MSP, and when they wanted to increase their income, all they got was apathy.”
Modi said his government allocated more funds for the sector and the procurement of pulses and oil seeds in the last four years was 13 times more than under the UPA regime.
He said his government has brought a “paradigm shift” in the policies and has been “working hard to double the income of farmers by reducing the input cost and wastage while ensuring fair price for crops and finding alternative means of income”.
Modi told BJP workers in Tamil Naidu to create awareness about the Centre’s welfare schemes and hold meetings so that benefits of such initiatives reach more people. “The BJP believes in sabka saath sabka vikas,” he said.
“We are not like the Congress, which will only pay lip service to farmers but ignore their well-being. Whenever Congress is in power, farmers suffer,” the PM said during a video interaction on NaMo app with party workers in Tamil Nadu.
Speaking on the farmers’ issue for the first time since the Assembly poll results, Modi responded to the criticism that his government had not implemented the Swaminathan Committee report recommendation on farmers’ income. “Did the Swaminathan Committee report not exist before? What stopped the previous government from implementing it?” Modi asked while responding to a question from a party worker on how to respond to criticism on the government’s failure in resolving the farmers’ crisis.
The PM’s remarks come at a time when the BJP has launched its hectic schedule for preparations ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.
With BJP leaders from the state pointing out that the Congress’s promises to the farmers and its attempt to address their concerns had helped the party woo the farming community, the PM said: “In Maharashtra, Congress was at the forefront of an irrigation scam.”
“A few days back, a top Congress leader from Punjab who has earlier served as the PCC chief said that the Congress government in Punjab is not serious about sugarcane farmers,” Modi said, adding that in Karnataka, where the Congress played an integral role in the decision on loan waiver, only 800 farmers got benefts. “Is it a joke? Is it how serious they are about farmers? If there is one party that understands the agricultural issues, always stand for farmers and solves their problem, it is the BJP.”
Terming his government the “most farmer friendly government in India”, Modi said, “Earlier farmers were lathicharged when they asked for urea, they got empty promises when they sought an increase in the MSP, and when they wanted to increase their income, all they got was apathy.”
Modi said his government allocated more funds for the sector and the procurement of pulses and oil seeds in the last four years was 13 times more than under the UPA regime.
He said his government has brought a “paradigm shift” in the policies and has been “working hard to double the income of farmers by reducing the input cost and wastage while ensuring fair price for crops and finding alternative means of income”.
Modi told BJP workers in Tamil Naidu to create awareness about the Centre’s welfare schemes and hold meetings so that benefits of such initiatives reach more people. “The BJP believes in sabka saath sabka vikas,” he said.