Congress takes out tractor rallies across Madhya Pradesh demanding higher MSP

The Congress is demanding that the BJP government increased the wheat and rice MSP to ₹2,700 and ₹3,100 as it had promised in its 2023 Assembly election manifesto.

The Madhya Pradesh Congress on Friday (September 20, 2024) took out protest rallies on tractors in all district headquarters across the State as part of its ongoing ‘Kisan Nyay Yatra’ to demand higher prices for soya bean, wheat and rice. 

Senior Madhya Pradesh Congress leaders such as State unit president Jitu Patwari and former Chief Minister Digvijaya Singh have long been demanding the MSP for soya bean to be increased to ₹6,000. The Opposition party has been demanding that the Bharatiya Janata Party government increase the wheat and rice MSP to ₹2,700 and ₹3,100 as the party had promised in its 2023 Assembly election manifesto. 

The party launched the ‘Kisan Nyay Yatra’ on September 10 to press for the demands and hold protests in different parts of the State. 

On Friday, Mr. Patwari and Mr. Singh led the march in Indore on tractors while another former CM Kamal Nath, and his son and former MP Nakul Nath joined the party workers in Chhindwara. Other senior leaders marched in different districts. 

“Today, there is a State-wide siege of the district offices and the collectors’ offices and memorandums (are being served). After this, the mandiyan (farmer markets) will be closed. Finally, the children of farmers will reach the assembly in lakhs of numbers,” Mr. Patwari told reporters. 

“The government is scared. The uproar that the farmers have raised today in entire Madhya Pradesh must have made this government realise that if you do not pay the farmers for their crops, then next time the sons of the farmers will close the mandis and will enter the Vidhan Sabha in lakhs. So listen to the sons of the farmers as soon as possible,” he said. 

In many districts, police were deployed with barricades to prevent the Congress workers from marching to Collectorates. In some districts like Indore, bulldozers were used to blockade the tractors. 

Earlier on September 11, the Union Government approved Madhya Pradesh’s proposal to procure soya bean crop at the MSP of ₹4,892 for the 2024-25 kharif season, after the market price for the crop fell close to ₹4,000.

However, the Congress has maintained its demand of increasing it till ₹6,000.

“Under BJP rule, the prices of soya bean have not increased but cost of production continues to rise. Therefore, farmers are demanding that the State government buy soya bean at ₹6,000 per quintal. They are not getting fair prices due to the anti-farmer policies of the Union Government, which is working for oil mill owners,” Mr. Singh said in Indore, demanding that the State Government pays the difference amount of ₹1,108 between the MSP and ₹6,000.

Home guard dies

A home guard, Dharmendra Solanki, passed away after falling ill while on duty at the Congress’ protest in Ujjain. Mr. Patwari and Chief Minister Mohan Yadav condoled his death. While Mr. Yadav announced financial assistance of ₹5 lakh for his family, Mr. Patwari asked the CM to increase it to ₹50 lakh. 

Published - September 20, 2024 10:31 pm IST