SP, Cong flay CM for remark on ‘payment to farmers in 72 hrs’
: The Samajwadi Party and Congress separately attacked chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday over his Saturday’s remark of “payments to farmers within 72 hours of procurement”. The Congress called it ‘laughable’ while the Samajwadi Party called it ‘an announcement only on papers’.
SP national president Akhilesh Yadav said in a statement: “Paddy procurement on MSP (minimum support price) and payments to farmers within 72 hours of procurement are all announcements only on papers. After breaking all promises to farmers, the state government is now showing new dreams to farmers--of wheat purchase through e-PoP (electronic point of purchase). It would have been better if the chief minister reviewed how many dues of cane farmers are pending? Would the CM tell how many farmers got MSP for paddy? He should tell when the farmers will be paid their dues. Now that he has made a new e-PoP announcement, would he tell if there is even trained manpower to operate e-PoP machines?”
Talking about farmers’ agitation over the 3 new farm laws, Akhilesh said: “Despite everything, this government has no empathy about the distress the farmers are facing. First the government imposed the 3 farm laws on farmers without any opinion or consultation from them and now while they have been protesting for months, the government is showing rigid behaviour. The BJP’s priority is capitalists, not farmers.”
UP Congress spokesperson Umashankar Pandey said in a statement: “The chief minister’s statement is not only a lie but extremely laughable. The statement is yet another deception.” Pandey said that on the directions of the government, the police used cruelty to force farm ers to end their agitation in Bag hpat. Several farmers were inju red in the lathi-charge.”