Agra farmers threaten indefinite fast at UP CM residence if potato MSP not raised

After facing stiff opposition from farmers all over the country, the BJP is now being challenged in Uttar Pradesh too, where the party has already promised loan waivers to the farmers. In the Khandoli block of Agra, the farmers of village Bagal Ghoonsa held a maha panchayat which was attended by hundreds of farmers from nearby villages.

In a resolution passed in the maha panchayat, the farmers demanded at least Rs 1100 minimum support price for potatoes, raising it from Rs. 487 per quintal. A memorandum was also presented to the Sub-Divisional Magistrate, addressed to the UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, in which the farmers demanded that the banks extend them loan facility on the basis of the potato stored in the cold storages.

On this occasion, UP Congress president and MP Raj Babbar targeted the BJP government in UP and said that the government is not even giving the cost price of the crops the farmers were raising. The number of educated unemployed youths is rising fast. PM Modi had promised to generate two crore job opportunities every year, but instead, the young generation is struggling to save its current jobs as companies are laying off workers. He said that the unemployment rate in India has risen from 3 percent during the UPA tenure, to over 5 percent under Modi govt.

Babbar said that the farmers are committing suicides and the state and central governments are in deep sleep. The farmers raising vegetables are not even getting the cost price of their produce. The schemes started by the UPA government for farmer welfare, are being rebranded by the Modi government as BJP's schemes.

Giving an extensive account of the plight faced by farmers during demonetization, Babbar said that the farmers were left with no choice during demonetization and they sold their produce for a pittance in order to gain even a fraction of what they had spent on raising the produce.

Tomatoes and other easily spoiled vegetables were even given away for free by farmers while some bartered the vegetables for foodgrain and other daily needs items. Calling demonetization a complete failure, in the presence of Etmadpur BJP MLA Ram Pratap Singh Chauhan, Babbar blamed Modi for bringing the entire country's economic progress to a standstill. Babbar announced from the dais that the Congress was with the farmers who had been deceived by the BJP.

Rashtriya Lok Dal State President Anil Chowdhary told India Today that there is a need to give a befitting reply to the BJP, which is silent on the plight of the farmers all over India.

Answering Babbar's charges, BJP MLA Ram Pratap Singh Chauhan said that he has written a letter to the Prime Minister for the setting up of potato processing units in this region and was hopeful that some action will be taken very soon on this demand.

Called by the Aloo Kisan Vikas Samiti, the Maha Panchayat attracted a huge crowd of farmers. On this occasion, the State President of the Samiti Vijendra Singh told India Today that the cold storage owners are exploiting the potato farmers and the governments are silent on this.

The Samiti has demanded justice from Dy. Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya and warned that if their demands are not met by 15th July, the farmers will start an indefinite fast at the Chief Minister's residence.