Modi forced President to lie, mislead people, alleges Ponnala

Ponnala Lakshmaiah, former state Congress committee president, alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had made President Ram Nath Kovind “speak lies” and mislead the people.

Reacting to the presidential address in both Houses of Parliament, Lakshmaiah said that it was mockery to say that the government would give minimum support price (MSP) as per the recommendations of the Dr M.S. Swaminathan Committee in the backdrop of passing farm laws that do not mention the MSP.

The BJP in its election manifesto had promised to give minimum support price to the farmers but was now saying it was not possible. Lakshmaiah pointed out that the BJP had promised that it would double the income of farmers by 2022. With one year left to fulfil the promise, the target was still far away.

“Loan target has not been reached, no hike in the minimum support price and agriculture production has not increased. The people have lost trust in the government,” the veteran Congress leader said, adding that the promise to provide an optical fibre net was a complete lie.

Lakshmaiah said that it was a shame that the projects that were started by Congress governments were being completed now and the NDA government was claiming them as their own. He alleged that the rural electrification could not be completed even by three per cent.

Demanding the repeal of the three “draconian” farm bills, the Congress leader said that the NDA government had been supporting the corporate sector and had accordingly brought ordinances on the matter.