New Delhi: Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Friday said the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) is going to take historic steps for the farmers of Maharashtra by fixing Rs 7,000 per quintal plus bonus for soybean. He also said the MVA will form a committee to fix fair price for onions and right minimum support price (MSP) for cotton as well.
The former Congress president said for the last three elections, the BJP has been promising an MSP of Rs 6,000 for soybean but even today farmers are forced to sell the soybean grown with their hard work for Rs 3,000-4,000. "Maha Vikas Aghadi will give our farmers their rights, fruits of hard work and justice," Gandhi said in a post in Hindi on X.
Slamming the ruling Mahayuti government, the Congress on Thursday had claimed that Maharashtra has purchased only 3,888 metric tonnes of soyabean while Telangana has procured nearly 25,000 metric tonnes of it, asserting that this is the difference between "those who are committed to farmer welfare and those who are committed to their own purse and power".
Earlier this week, Gandhi had claimed Maharashtra's soyabean and cotton farmers are frustrated due to the BJP government's "anti-farmer" policies, and assured them that the INDIA bloc will resolve their issues once it forms government in the state. Gandhi had said soyabean prices were up to Rs 10,000 in 2021 but now farmers are forced to sell it at lower than the MSP. The MSP of soyabean is Rs 4,892 but the farmers have to sell it at around Rs 4,200 or even less, he had said.
The former Congress chief had interacted with soyabean and cotton farmers of Maharashtra through video conference and heard their problems. Gandhi was to visit Chikhli in Buldhana district of poll-bound Maharashtra to address a rally of soyabean and cotton farmers. His rally was cancelled on Tuesday after his flight from Delhi faced a technical glitch.
The Congress' attacks come amid campaigning for the November 20 polls in Maharashtra. The counting of votes will take place on November 23.
