Rahul Gandhi announces legal guarantees for MSP to farmers if INDIA alliance forms govt

Indian National Congress (INC) leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday (Feb 13) promised to fulfil the farmers' key demand of a law guaranteeing Minimum Support Price (MSP) for various crops if the INDIA bloc wins upcoming general elections and comes to power.

The opposition condemned the BJP governments at the Centre and also in states for stopping protesting farmers from marching to the Indian capital of New Delhi.

MSP is announced by the government at the beginning of the sowing season for certain crops on the basis of several factors and aims at insuring agricultural producers against any sharp fall in farm prices.

Rahul Gandhi shared a post in Hindi on X, which is loosely translated in English as: "Farmer brothers, today is a historic day! Congress has decided to give a legal guarantee of MSP to every farmer on crops as per the Swaminathan Commission."

"This step will change the lives of 15 crore farmer families by ensuring their prosperity. This is the first guarantee of Congress on the path of justice. #KisaanNYAYGuarantee," he added.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge accused the Modi government of neglecting the voice of farmers after "failing" to fulfil the promises made to them over 10 years.

"If Congress comes to power at the Centre (after the Lok Sabha polls), it will ensure legal guarantee to MSP in the interest of farmers. It is our first guarantee," Kharge said during Gandhi's 'Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra' in the Ambikapur district of Chhattisgarh.

Watch:Farmers protest: What are the restrictions imposed in Delhi & neighbouring states?

Farmers protest in Delhi NCR

Randeep Surjewala, who is the party general secretary, said the Congress party supports the farmers' agitation and questioned why authorities were resorting to "dictatorial" behaviour by putting up barricades and converting Delhi into a "police cantonment".

Farmers from several associations, mostly from the states of Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Punjab, had called for a protest on February 13 to demand a law guaranteeing Minimum Support Price for crops.

The farmers are also demanding the implementation of the Swaminathan Commission's recommendations, pensions for farmers and farm labourers, farm debt waiver, withdrawal of police cases and "justice" for victims of the Lakhimpur Kheri violence, reinstatement of the Land Acquisition Act, 2013, withdrawal from the World Trade Organization, and compensation for families of farmers who died during the previous 2020-21 agitation, among others.

(With inputs from agencies)