New Delhi [India], December 6: A group of Congress MPs staged a protest outside Parliament on Friday, demanding the implementation of a legal guarantee for Minimum Support Price (MSP) for farmers. The MPs held banners with slogans calling for a legal guarantee for MSP and urged the government to listen to farmers.
This protest comes in the wake of a large group of farmers gathering at the Shambhu border, where they are pushing for the government to address their 12 key demands, including a legal guarantee for MSP.
Congress MP Deepender Singh Hooda criticized the central government for not fulfilling its promise to provide MSP to farmers, made during the previous farmers’ protest. “The government had promised MSP, but now it seems like they are going back on that promise. Farmers are protesting again at Shambhu border and are preparing to march to Delhi. We demand immediate talks with the farmers,” Hooda said.
In solidarity with the farmers, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh declared the party’s full support for the ongoing march to Parliament. Ramesh took to social media, expressing his backing for the farmers’ demands. “Farmers are marching to Parliament today. Their protest has received support from the Vice President and the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha. Their fight continues,” Ramesh wrote.
He reiterated the farmers’ demand for a legal guarantee for MSP and called for MSP to be fixed at 1.5 times the comprehensive cost of cultivation, as recommended by the MS Swaminathan Commission. Ramesh also highlighted the need for restructuring the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana and establishing an independent agency to oversee agricultural trade policies.
The farmers’ renewed call for a ‘Delhi Chalo’ march comes as many of their demands, including the MSP guarantee, remain unaddressed. Sukhwinder Kaur, one of the protesters, expressed frustration, stating, “We have 12 demands, with MSP being the main one. The Punjab government had promised to address it, but even after waiting a month, nothing has been done. We are ready for talks, but the government has not approached us. We are not begging; we are simply asking for what we deserve.”
As tensions rise, opposition leaders continue to rally behind the farmers, urging the government to engage in meaningful dialogue. The situation is closely monitored, with increasing political and public pressure on the government to resolve the issue.