It is maha jumla, electoral lollypop, says Congress

NEW DELHI: The Congress on Wednesday dismissed as “maha jumla (rhetoric) and “electoral lollypop” the hike in the minimum support price (MSP) for kharif crops announced by the Modi government and demanded loan waiver for the farmers.

The main opposition party claimed that the move was aimed at wooing the farmers ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

Attacking Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala told reporters that the PM and his government have “duped” farmers. “The Prime Minister has failed to fulfil his promise made to farmers. He is misleading the nation and is playing with the interests of farmers. He has betrayed the farmers and they will never accept this,” the Congress leader said.

Surjewala accused the Modi government of having failed to live up to its promise of fixing the MSP at 50% above the cost of production. He alleged that the government has not given cost plus 50% to farmers for any crop as per the recommendations of the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP).

“The MSP announced on Wednesday will be given to the farmers only next year, by the time the Bjp-led NDA government would be out of power and the new government will have to pay,” he told reporters.

“The MSP does not fulfill the promise of cost plus 50% of produce as per CACP recommendations. If this is not the betrayal with farmers, what is it? Farmers have been duped yet again. It is a betrayal with the farmers. This is merely a PR exercise on MSP and is a mere electoral lollypop,” Surjewala said.