By TwoCircles.net Staff Reporter
On Wednesday, Union Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh again misled the country by making a completely false statement by claiming that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had never promised to offer a minimum support price to farmers but had instead promised to give a profit of 50% to farmers on the production cost.
All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee (AIKSCC) has said that not only is this a completely false statement, but the agricultural minister also did not clarify how the farmers can gain a profit of 50% without having an MSP in place.
Defying Singh’s claim, social activist and founder of Swaraj Abhiyan Yogendra Yadav tweeted a video dated April 4, 2014. The video clearly shows that Modi had promised to fix the crops’ MSP at above 50% of the production cost.
By claiming that Mr. Modi never promised to declare MSP, isn't the Union Agriculture Minister misleading the country? pic.twitter.com/unjU4ikmj1
— Yogendra Yadav (@_YogendraYadav) July 21, 2017
The video was shot in 2014 when the then Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi was campaigning for Raju Shetty, Lok Sabha candidate from Sangli, Maharashtra.
Ironically, Raju Shetty moved towards farmers’ side since the farmers’ agitation across the India has started.
All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee has said, “What is encouraging and reassuring for the farmers of India is that MP Raju Shetty, in whose election campaign Modi is making this promise, is today exposing the false and hollow claims of Modi.”
Shetty is a member of the All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee and was a key member in the recently organised Kisan Mukti Sansad held at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar. He was also leading the Maharashtra chapter recent farmers’ protests.
Exposing the false claims of the central government, Raju Shetty said, “I had supported Modi on the condition that he would give MSP over 50% of the cost value of the crop. He has not yet fulfilled the promise. He should stop dreaming of a second term if he does not fulfil the promise.”
VM Singh, Convenor AIKSCC, said, “It was under the pressure of this movement that the issue of farmers was raised in the Parliament. The farmers’ movement not only received support from various MPs across party lines but many MPs from the ruling party as well as the opposition also reached Jantar Mantar to show their solidarity with the farmers.”