‘You can keep all the credit’: PM Modi attacks opposition over farmers’ protests

Prime minister Narendra Modi on Friday accused the opposition parties of creating distrust between the farmers and the government and also of instigating them against the laws which the Centre believes will bring reforms to the agricultural sector. PM Modi was addressing farmers in Madhya Pradesh virtually during the Kisan Kalyan event.

PM Modi told the opposition parties that they can keep all the credit when these recently passed farm laws will bring reforms to the agricultural sector. He also said that the opposition parties can take the credit as their old election manifestoes mentioned these agriculture promises.

He said, “I request all political parties with folded hands, please keep all the credit. I’m giving credit to all your old election manifestos. I just want ease in the life of farmers, I want their progress and want modernity in agriculture.”

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Modi also accused the opposition parties of using the farmers as a vote bank and political tool. He said that the opposition parties are spinning a web of lies to misguide farmers as the implementation of these laws have been in discussion for the last several years. The prime minister also reiterated that the system of MSP will remain unaffected by these new laws.

Taking a jibe at former Madhya Pradesh chief minister Kamal Nath, the prime minister said that the farm loans were not waived as was promised before the Madhya Pradesh Assembly elections. He said, “Those who’ve started this movement in the name of farmers, when they had a chance to run the govt or become part of govt, what they did back then, the country needs to remember. Today, I want to bring their deeds in front of countrymen & farmers.”

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BJP has several times in the past few weeks raised the issue of how opposition parties were in favour of implementing the very same laws the NDA introduced during the monsoon session.

Union agriculture minister Narendra Singh Tomar in an exclusive interview with the Hindustan Times said that the current government had the willpower to implement the new laws. He said that the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government had also wished to bring these laws but lacked the willingness to do so. He said, “Those who believe in status quo cannot create history. Even the UPA wanted to make these reforms but they couldn’t.”

A PTI report quoting government sources was released in early December where it was seen that Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar had wanted states to implement the APMC Act in order to increase farmers’ incomes by allowing private players to take steps to reform the agricultural sector.