Maya demands new farm law guaranteeing MSP

LUCKNOW: Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati on Saturday said while the withdrawal of three contentious farm laws was a late but much needed move, the government was yet to act on a demand by farmers to enact a farm law guaranteeing minimum support price (MSP) to them for their produce.

In a veiled manner, she said the Centre’s decision to withdraw farm laws might have been politically motivated.

Mayawati is among the several opposition leaders who have said that the Centre’s announcement was forced upon due to electoral compulsions in Punjab and in western UP, areas where farmers’ agitation was widely expected to cost the BJP in the 2022 assembly elections.

Throughout their agitation the farmers had flagged, among other things, the government’s plan to do away with the MSP and despite firm and repeated denials by the government, the farmers had stuck to their stand.

“The Centre’s withdrawal of three controversial farm laws following a sharp agitation has been dubbed a late but wise move. However, it has also been described as a decision forced upon by electoral compulsions. Hence some strong steps are required in this regard,” Mayawati tweeted.

“It is in this light that a new law guaranteeing minimum support price to farmers is enacted,” Mayawati added. On Friday too, she had said though announcement for withdrawal of three contentious farm laws had been made, the government was yet to act upon a demand by farmers to enact a law guaranteeing minimum support price for their produce. Mayawati also said it would be better if the Centre ensured the cases registered against farmers who had been agitating against those farm laws were withdrawn. “In the past, the country has suffered a lot due to the then Indira Gandhi-led Congress party’s autocratic behaviour. Now, the country hopes it never has to witness a similar thing again,” she tweeted.