Dallewal refutes Shah’s claim on crop purchase above MSP

Samyukt Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) convener Jagjit Singh Dallewal today contradicted the claim of Union Home Minister Amit Shah that the Centre was buying the produce from farmers at three and a half times the minimum support price (MSP).

He said during the past 10 years (2014-2024), the MSP of wheat had been increased by the Centre 56 per cent, while the rates of the agricultural inputs had gone up by 56.53 per cent. Thus, the farmers had suffered a loss of 0.53 per cent, instead of getting three-and-a-half times more than the MSP, as claimed by Shah. During the past 10 years, only Rs 825 per quintal had been increased in the MSP of wheat by the government, Dallewal added.

The increase in the MSP of wheat was 130 per cent during 2004-2014, as compared to 56 per cent during 2014-2024. He said if the Modi government had been giving three-and-a-half times more rates of crops than the MSP, then what was the problem in enacting the MSP guarantee law, he said.

Dallewal said in many states, including Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, paddy was not being procured at MSP due to which farmers had been financially suffering in a big way. He asked Shah not to make such statements to spread wrong information among the people.

He asked volunteers to remain vigilant at the morcha site as the government could make an effort to remove him from there to end his fast.

Farm leader from Haryana Abhimanyu Kohar urged PM Narendra Modi to enact the MSP guarantee law, as promised in 2011. He also dared Shah to organise a live debate in front of the media on the MSP issue.

Kohar said if the Centre agreed to do so, the SKM (Non-Political) and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha would participate in the debate with statistics to show the country who was right.

Harsimrat's appeal to Centre

Senior Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader and Bathinda MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal on Monday appealed to the Centre to accept the demands of farmers, including a legal guarantee on MSP, to save the life of fasting farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal.

Nationwide protest by SKM on Dec 23

Without coming to the help of SKM (Non-Political) and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha, the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) on Monday announced a nationwide protest on December 23. It asked farmers to hold protests across India to demand immediate discussion with all farmer bodies.