TIL Desk/National/New Delhi/ The Congress questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “silence” on the police firing on farmers in Mandsaur, Madhya Pradesh, even 36 hours after the incident.
In a sharp response to the way the Centre and BJP-ruled States have dealt with the agricultural crisis (35 farmers are reportedly committing suicide daily), and the farmers’ agitations that have followed, Congress spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi asked on Tuesday, “There was a lot of hoopla about starting a Kisan channel on Doordarshan. Mr. Prime Minister, did the ‘DD Kisan Channel’ show the Mandsaur incident?”
Pointing out that his government had reneged on its manifesto promise to farmers of giving the minimum support price plus 50 per cent for their produce, Dr. Singhvi said, “Your government, shortly after winning the elections, made a statement on affidavit in the Hon’ble Supreme Court to say that it is not possible to give this price.”
“To add insult to injury, to insult the intelligence of farmers and the public of India, the Central government released two-page advertisements in all newspapers [on what they had done for the farming sector],” he said.
