Modi government is a “Jhoothi Sarkar” for farmers

• Randeep Singh Surjewala

Farmers from all over North India are marching towards Delhi. There is restlessness and chaos all around. Forget about giving the farmers a law guaranteeing MSP, the Modi government is not even ready to let the farmers come to Delhi to plead for justice.

The farmers who have been camping on the Punjab-Haryana border for the last 9 months have begun their march towards Delhi. Haryana Police fired tear gas shells on the unarmed farmers who were marching peacefully as per the pre-announced program, in which 7 farmers have been injured. 101 farmers have crossed 2 barricades while moving towards Ambala on foot. Now they have been stopped at the barricades of Haryana Police and paramilitary.

We have clear demands from the central government that it should give up its repressive attitude towards farmers and talk to them in a cordial manner and announce in the Parliament that it will accept and implement all their demands including the legal guarantee of MSP of crops as per its old promise.

The Congress Party and the entire country are with the farmers in their peaceful movement and legitimate demands and any repression on them will prove to be the last nail in the coffin of the Modi government. Nails, spears and walls are being erected around Delhi in the way of the farmers. After 75 years of independence, the farmers who provide food to the country are not even allowed to seek justice from the government of the country. On the other hand, when the country’s Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan lies in the House, he keeps his voice high and is ready for a new lie.

Lies caught of the Modi government and its Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan: 1. Lie Number-1 by Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan said that we are buying enough crops. The Agriculture Minister said in the House that crops are bought at MSP, but see the reality of it: The truth about Modi government’s purchase of Rabi crops in 2023-24 at the support price:

Crop Name Production (in lakh tonnes) Purchase at MSP (in lakh tonnes) Percentage of MSP purchase to Total production Wheat 1129.25 262.02 23.20 percent Barley 16.53 00 00 percent Gram 115.76 0.43 0.37 percent Lentil 17.54 2.47 14.08 percent Mustard 131.61 12.09 9.19 percent Safflower 0.51 00 00 percent

2. Lie number-2 by Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan

In the Parliament, the Agriculture Minister says that MSP is being given at Cost+50 percent of the farmers’ cost, but see the reality of it:

The BJP government at the Centre gave an affidavit in the Supreme Court on February 6, 2015, that the support price cannot be given more than 50% of the cost of the farmers, otherwise the market will be ruined. That is, Jumlanathan rejected Swaminathan’s recommendations.

3. Lie number-3 by Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan In the Parliament, the Agriculture Minister says that the farmer is being given MSP 100 percent to 200 percent more than the cost. But in reality, the farmer is not even being given the cost of the crop. We are not saying this, the BJP-ruled states themselves told this to CACP.

Agriculture Minister: State governments also considered the support price as a drop in the ocean: Agriculture Minister, Shivraj Singh Chauhan said that we are giving Cost+50% to the farmers. For wheat, Maharashtra said that the cost in its state is Rs. 3,527 per quintal and it should be given a support price of Rs. 4,461 per quintal for wheat. Similarly, Maharashtra is the second largest state in the country in the production of gram. It said that the cost of gram is Rs. 5,402 per quintal and it should be given a support price of Rs. 7,119 per quintal. But the Modi government rejected the demand of almost all the states like Maharashtra, Gujarat, Jharkhand for 2025-26.

Wheat Maharashtra demands MSP of ₹4,461 per quintal Jharkhand demands MSP of ₹2,855 per quintal Gujarat demands MSP of ₹4,050 per quintal Gram Maharashtra demands MSP of ₹7,119 per quintal Andhra Pradesh demands MSP of ₹8,341 per quintal Gujarat demands MSP of ₹7,050 per quintal Lentil Bihar demands MSP of ₹7,298 per quintal Madhya Pradesh demands MSP of ₹6,825 per quintal Mustard Bihar demands MSP of ₹7,298 per quintal Assam demands MSP of ₹6,215 per quintal

4. Lie number-4 by Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan

Agriculture Minister ji, the truth about Modi government’s support price for Rabi season 2025-26: Modi government recently announced the support price of crops for Rabi season 2025-26. This increase in comparison to last year is only 2.4 to 7 percent. The difference between Swaminathan’s support price and Jumlanathan’s support price is clearly visible in the chart given below:

Name of the crop Amount in Rs. per quintal Jumalanathan MSP 2025-26 Swaminathan MSP 2025-26 (C2+50)

Wheat 2425 (6.6 percent) 2580 Barley 1980 (7.0 percent) 2605 Gram 5650 (3.9 percent) 6993 Lentil 6700 (4.3 percent) 7591-5 Mustard 5950 (5.3 percent) 6441 Safflower 5940 (2.4 percent) 8325

The percentages given in brackets represent the increase in the support price announced for Rabi crops last year (2024-25).

5. Lie number 5 by Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan Cost+50 percent was not given even in soybean Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh are the two largest soybean producing states of the country. The cost price of soybean was fixed by the Central Government at Rs. 3,261 and the support price at Rs. 4,892 per quintal. Today, soybean is being sold in Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh for less than Rs. 4,000 per quintal. The irony is that Maharashtra had told the production cost of soybean as Rs. 6,039 per quintal and Madhya Pradesh had told Rs. 4,455 per quintal to the Costs and Prices Commission. Today the price of soybean in Maharashtra is less than the support price. Agriculture Minister, Prime Minister had announced in Maharashtra that if the Mahayuti government is formed, then it will give Rs. 6,000 per quintal for soybean. Is 6,000 rupees per quintal being given and will this price be given for the previous purchases as well? The time has come that the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi himself should call the farmers of the country and bring a law for legal guarantee of MSP in this session of Parliament. It must be known and understood that everything can wait, except agriculture.

Based on statement issued by Shri Randeep Singh Surjewala, MP, General Secretary, AICC on December 6, 2024