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Don’t exploit emotions of state youth: Punjab BJP chief Jakhar
Taking on Congress leadership for hobnobbing with AAP and doing nothing for saving farmer interests, Jakhar said Congress must stop using farmers for kind of politics which is totally bereft of any understanding of farmer issues and their concerns. “Is any of the Congress leaders willing to shift to jawar or bajra in place of paddy or wheat,” he asked.
Punjab BJP president Sunil Jakhar on Sunday alleged that farmers were misleading masses and exploiting emotions of state youth.
He claimed that wheat and paddy produced in Punjab is already being lifted at MSP by the Centre.
Jakhar appealed to farmer leaders of other states, including Uttar Pradesh and Haryana, to shun from this path of using Punjab as their battle ground and ensure that no more youths like Shubh Karan of Punjab should meet the same fate.
Taking on Congress leadership for hobnobbing with AAP and doing nothing for saving farmer interests, Jakhar said Congress must stop using farmers for kind of politics which is totally bereft of any understanding of farmer issues and their concerns. “Is any of the Congress leaders willing to shift to jawar or bajra in place of paddy or wheat,” he asked.
Punjab farmers are getting MSP, and this is irking other states, he said. The states which are not getting MSP must fight their own battle. He also announced that the party would hold a protest in Chandigarh on March 4 on the issue.
A guarantee of MSP will not solve the entire problem as none of the remaining 21 crops is as remunerative as paddy and wheat, Jakhar said underlining the need for genuine discussion and deliberation with all stakeholders.
“Our groundwater table is depleting at an alarming rate, and we need to consider moving away from water guzzling crops,” said Jakhar.
“It is the responsibility of farmer leaders to tell what Punjab will gain from this protest as we are already getting MSP on wheat and paddy which we produce,” said Jakhar.
He said, “Our farmers know if they keep growing wheat and paddy, though they get assured MSP on these two, there will be no water to grow any crop in coming years.” Jakhar said farmer leaders must name any one crop or crops from the remaining 21 MSP mandated ones they wish to shift to, while offering to take their proposal to Centre for implementation of immediate MSP guarantee.
Citing data, Jakhar said in 2014, 1.18 LMT (lakh metric tonnes) of paddy was purchased by transferring ₹16,000 crore directly into accounts of farmers. Further, in kharif season of 2023-24, ₹40,385 crore have been transferred into bank accounts of farmers directly for procurement of 1.82 LMTs of paddy which is over 60 LMTs of paddy purchased on MSP in 2014, he said.
