Farmers have been misled by Opposition, says PM Narendra Modi

Kutch (Gujarat): Prime Minister Narendra Modi has expressed support yet again for his government's controversial farm sector laws that have made farmers leave their home behind to come out and camp at the borders of Delhi for nearly 20 days.

The government has made it clear that the farm laws would not be scraped, which is the principal demand of the farmers, resulting in a deadlock and escalation of protests.

PM Modi reiterated that "The agriculture reforms that have taken place are exactly what farmer bodies and even opposition parties have been asking over the years," saying that the opposition is now "instigating" and "misleading" the farmers.

"The government of India is always committed to farmers' welfare and we will keep assuring the farmers and addressing their concerns," he added while speaking at a function in Gujarat's Kutch.

PM Modi had marked the government's line last month in his monthly radio address Mann ki Baat, expressing support for the laws three days after the farmers started their "Delhi Chalo" protest.

Since then, the government had held several rounds of talks with the farmers, one was even attended by Union Home Minister Amit Shah. But no resolution has been taken as of now because farmers are rejecting the government's offer of bringing amendments in the laws.

Last week, the BJP had claimed that Congress was contradicting its own plans to incite farmers and oppose the government. During the UPA rule, the Congress and Sharad Pawar's Nationalist Congress Party supported what are now the key provisions of the farm laws.

Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said repeal of the Agricultural Produce & Livestock Market Committee (APMC) Act was part of the 2019 manifesto of the Congress and the party had promised to get it done within six months.

Contract farming had also begun during Manmohan Singh-led government in many Congress states, the minister said.

The Congress, Haryana CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda said, had supported the farmers and had geared its policy towards offering the farmers the Minimum Support Price guaranteed by the government.

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