Modi backed MSP guarantee as CM but changed position

The Congress on Friday accused the BJP of "defaming" protesting farmers in Punjab and questioning their loyalty to India, and asked if Prime Minister Narendra Modi would apologise for it.

Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh posed questions to the prime minister ahead of his rallies in Punjab.

"Why is Punjab's agricultural power supply under threat? Why has the Prime Hypocrite changed his original position in support of MSP? Why is the outgoing PM defaming farmers and constantly questioning their loyalty?" he said. Ramesh said the Modi government introduced the Electricity (Amendment) Bill of 2022, with the "nefarious aim" of privatising the entire electricity system in India.

The provisions of the Bill set it up such that public utilities will be left with a "service obligation", while private utilities will be able to capture all profits from richer areas, he said. "The first areas to lose service will be the agricultural feeders of Punjab. The Bill also violates the federal structure of India, which is to be expected from the BJP's style of 'confrontational federalism'. This model of 'retail electricity competition' has failed across the world, yet the BJP wants to bring it into India. Why is the PM trying to steal power from India's farmers?" Ramesh said.

He further said that in April 2014, when Modi was the chief minister of Gujarat, he backed a C2+50% (Swaminathan formula) MSP guarantee to farmers. "Yet once he sat on the PM's chair, he changed his position and has opposed MSP for 10 years now, and has even attempted to undermine the MSP regime through his three black farm laws. Will the Prime Hypocrite revert to this position after June 4, when he demits office as PM?" Ramesh said.

"When the Kisaan-Virodhi BJP brought the three black farm laws under cover of the COVID-19 pandemic, the farmers of Punjab and elsewhere had no option but to protest. They braved the bitter cold, the pandemic, and the violence of the Delhi Police, to make their voice heard by the arrogant Prime Minister," he said.