Jaipur, Feb 13 (PTI) Former Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot on Tuesday said the action against the farmers demanding a law on the minimum support price (MSP) is the height of insensitivity.
The police lobbed tear gas shells – some of them dropped from a drone – and tried to disperse groups of stone-pelting protesters in the face-off that last several hours at Shambhu border near Ambala in Haryana.
Haryana Police hurled tear gas canisters against the ‘Delhi Chalo’ protesters at the border in the state’s Jind district as well. Water cannons too were deployed there.
Hitting out at the Narendra Modi government, Gehlot said the Congress stands completely in favour of the farmers.
“On one hand, the Central government announces Bharat Ratna to Chaudhary Charan Singh and MS Swaminathan and on the other hand, considering these two as ideals, it is using tear gas and water cannons on the farmers demanding a law on the MSP. This is the height of insensitivity,” Gehlot posted on X.
“When Prime Minister Narendra Modi was the chief minister of Gujarat, he himself used to advocate the MSP law, but now he does not want to allow even peaceful protest by the farmers demanding MSP. This shows the double character of the NDA government on the farmers’ issues,” he said.
Gehlot said that Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and former party chief Rahul Gandhi have announced that if the government is formed at the Centre, they will guarantee MSP as per the Swaminathan Commission report.
“This is very important for the prosperity of the farmers’ families,” he added.
The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha are spearheading the ‘Delhi Chalo’ agitation to put pressure on the Centre for their demands, including a law on minimum support price for crops and loan waivers. PTI SDA AS AS
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