In a significant move to push the government towards revising the Minimum Support Price (MSP) policy, a delegation of farmers from various states met Congress MP Rahul Gandhi inside the Parliament complex on Wednesday morning. The delegation, comprising 12 farmer leaders from Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, and Karnataka, discussed their longstanding demands and the government's failure to meet their assurances.
Rahul Gandhi, who also serves as the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, was joined by senior Congress leaders KC Venugopal and Deepender Singh Hooda, along with MPs Amarinder Singh Raja Warring and Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa. However, there was initial confusion as the farmers were not allowed inside the Parliament premises. Addressing this, Gandhi remarked, "We invited them? but they are not allowing them inside Parliament. They are farmers, maybe this is why."
After the meeting, Amarinder Singh Raja Warring told NDTV, "Rahul Gandhi will raise the voice of farmers inside Parliament." He also affirmed the farmers' right to protest in Delhi, hinting at the possibility of another large-scale march. "They have all rights to come to Delhi and protest (and) if a private member's bill is required then we will bring that too," he stated.
Jagjit Singh Dallewal, one of the farmer leaders, expressed dissatisfaction with the government's progress, stating, "Swaminathan report implementation is a must. We will continue the march towards Delhi." The Swaminathan Commission's C2+50 formula, which includes the cost of capital and land rent in the MSP calculation, remains a central demand of the farmers.
During the meeting, the farmers urged Rahul Gandhi to introduce a private member's bill to revise the MSP and provide it with legal backing. These demands have been at the forefront of their protests since 2020, highlighting the need for a more supportive pricing policy for agricultural products.
The ongoing issue of MSP has not only fueled protests within the country but has also attracted international attention, leading to intense political debates. The BJP-led government previously faced extensive protests, resulting in the rollback of three controversial farm laws after prolonged blockades and clashes.
Despite the rollback, the MSP issue continues to be a contentious point. Earlier this year, a second wave of protests, dubbed 'Delhi Chalo 2.0', demanded loan waivers and a freeze on electricity tariffs for farmers. These protests were temporarily halted following a new government proposal, which the farmers subsequently rejected, citing unmet core demands.
In a related development, the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (non-political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha announced plans to burn effigies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and organize a nationwide tractor rally on August 15, Independence Day, to further press their demands.
