Modi says previous govts gave only hollow slogans to farmers

Amid nationwide protests by farmers against the three contentious farm Bills, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday (September 25) accused Congress of giving hollow slogans in the name of farmers for many decades and that his government made “history by increasing the MSP for farmers.”

The PM was addressing party workers on the birth anniversary of Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyaya. The day marked the celebration of Foundation Day of Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana, which Modi addressed via video conferencing.

BJP chief JP Nadda and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh also participated in the event.

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“Hollow slogans were given in favour of farmers, labourers for many decades since Independence. Governments were formed in the name of farmers, workers but all they got was jumbled web of promises, laws, which farmers or labourers could never understand,” said the PM. “But our government has constantly tried to change this situation and has introduced reforms for the welfare of farmers.”

He said in the last few years, the NDA government made efforts to connect farmers with banks. “Over Rs 1 lakh crore were transferred to over 10 crore farmers under PM Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana. Our effort was to provide KISAN credit cards to more and more farmers so they can avail of loans easily,” he said.

The Prime Minister said the agricultural reforms would benefit small and marginal farmers the most. “Small, marginal farmers, who are 86 per cent, will benefit the most from agriculture reforms.”

PM Modi also asked the party workers to take the message of agriculture reforms and their benefits to farmers, saying BJP workers’ conduct should be in line with expectations, aspirations of India of 21st century.

“All BJP Karyakartas should reach out to farmers and inform them in a very simplified language about the importance and intricacies of the new farm reforms, how these will empower them. Our ground connect will bust the lies and rumours being spread,” he said.

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Explaining the labour laws, PM Modi said, “New labour laws will ensure timely salary for over 50 crore organised and unorganised workers. Only 30 per cent of workers so far had coverage of minimum wage guarantee. It will now expand to all workers in the unorganised sector. Earlier, there existed about 10,000 slabs of minimum wages for various sectors. Under new labour reforms, these have been reduced to around 200 slabs.”