Rahul Gandhi assures farm leaders to pressurise govt for MSP guarantee

New Delhi, July 24 (IANS) A delegation of twelve farm leaders from Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, and Karnataka met Congress MP Rahul Gandhi in the Parliament complex on Wednesday and shared their concerns over the need for a Minimum Support Price (MSP) guarantee for crops. 

The Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha assured them that a legal guarantee for MSP was their right. 

Later, speaking to the press, Rahul Gandhi said the Congress and the INDIA bloc allies will raise the issue of MSP in the Parliament, and also put pressure on the government on the same.

“We have mentioned in our manifesto about a legal guarantee for MSP, which can be implemented without any hassles,” he told mediapersons.

“During the meeting, we decided that we will discuss the matter with the INDIA bloc partners and then start putting pressure on the government to frame a law on MSP,” he said.

Rahul Gandhi’s meeting with the farm leaders was also attended by senior Congress leaders K.C. Venugopal, former Punjab CM Charanjit Singh Channi, Raja Brar, Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, Gurjeet Singh Aujla, Dharamvir Gandhi, Amar Singh, Deepender Singh Hooda, and Jai Prakash.

Earlier, Rahul Gandhi claimed that the farmer leaders were not allowed entry to the Parliament complex. It was only after he walked out of the House that the farmers were let in.

The farmer leaders said that Rahul Gandhi has also expressed solidarity with them against the 'atrocities' of the Haryana government.

Notably, farm bodies Samyukt Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha recently announced to launch a fresh stir to push for a legalisation on MSP guarantee.

As part of the protest, they will take out a 'long march' to support the Opposition's private Bills. They will also take out a tractor rally on August 15.

At a recent press conference, the leaders of Samyukt Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM) said that the farmers' 'Delhi Chalo' march will complete 200 days on August 31, as they appealed to the people to reach Khanauri, Shambhu, etc., on the Punjab and Haryana border on that day.

--IANS

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