Congress slams BJP for police action against farmers in Kurukshetra

New Delhi, June 7

The Congress on Wednesday condemned the BJP for the police action in Kurukshetra against farmers protesting against sunflower seeds not being bought at the minimum support price (MSP).

Addressing a press conference at the AICC office here, Congress MP Deepender Hooda said the ‘Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan’ slogan given by late Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri had been overturned by the current dispensation into ‘Mare kisan, pite kisan, jai dhanwan’ (let farmers die, beat the farmer, hail the rich).

Hooda said the farmers were protesting democratically but ‘lath tantra” was applied against them. The demand of the farmers that sunflower seeds were bought at the MSP must be accepted and those arrested should be given compensation, Hooda said. The Centre should keep its promise of enacting legislation guaranteeing MSP, the Congress Rajya Sabha member said.

Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said the BJP’s “anti-farmer attitude” had been coming to the fore again and again. Sometimes farmers were attacked by bringing land acquisition ordinance and “black” agricultural laws” and sometimes they are assaulted directly, as it happened in Kurukshetra, he said on Twitter.

“We strongly condemn the lathicharge on the farmers who were protesting peacefully. The government should fulfil their demand for the MSP and not try to brutally suppress their voice,” Ramesh said.