Farmers Meet Rahul Gandhi, Remind Him of Promise on MSP in Cong Manifesto

A delegation of farmer leaders had a long discussion with Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi in Parliament House complex. The discussions mainly veered around the long-pending demand for a legal guarantee for MSP, besides other burning issues facing the farming community.

The delegation comprised six members each from twin farmer umbrella organisations Sanyukt Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM). After meeting the delegation of 12 farmer leaders from Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, and Karnataka, Gandhi said the INDIA bloc will put pressure on the government and ensure that the farmers get a legal guarantee for MSP. It will explore all possibilities, including moving a Private Member’s Bill, to ensure farmers get a legal guarantee for MSP.

The Congress manifesto for the Lok Sabha elections had promised a legal guarantee for MSP. "We have done a full assessment and it is feasible. We had a meeting and it was decided that we will have a discussion with INDIA bloc leaders and try and put pressure on the government to ensure that the farmers get a legal guarantee for MSP," Gandhi said.

"Legal guarantee for MSP is the right of farmers. INDIA will ensure that they get this right," the former Congress chief later said in a post on X.

Besides promising legal guarantee to the MSP announced by the government every year, as recommended by the Swaminathan Commission, the Congress manifesto also promised that MSP payable to the farmer-seller at the procurement centers and agricultural produce market committees will be directly credited digitally to the bank account of the farmer.

Gandhi promised SKM (Non-Political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM) to raise demands for legal MSP guarantees and debt waivers in Parliament. The 12-member delegation, which met him a day after Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented the Union Budget, also discussed police actions against protesting farmers and previous election promises.