New Delhi: Congress President Sonia Gandhi on Saturday asked the BJP government in the centre to follow its "rajdharma" and protect farmers' interest who, she said, were being forced to sell their produce in various 'mandis' at a price 22.5 percent lower than the MSP and are heading to suffer a loss of Rs 50,000 crore.
In a statement, the Congress chief said the farmers are suffering a double whammy as their produce is being sold much lower than the cost price, while the input costs have risen significantly.
"The manner in which the crops are being sold at an average of 22.5 per cent less than the MSP in various mandis of the country, farmers will suffer a loss of Rs 50,000 crore. How will they be compensated?" she asked in her statement.
"The Congress demands that this double exploitation of the country's farmer should be stopped and they get adequate cost for his hard work and labour. This would be the government's real 'rajdharma'," the Congress chief said.
She accused the BJP of government of reneging on their promise of providing 50 per cent plus the minimum support prices to farmers on their produce.
"The BJP government kept benefitting a handful of middlemen and hoarders, who have looted Indian farmers for years.
"The question is why the farmers are being forced to observe a 'Black Diwali' on the eve of the festival. Today, the kharif produce is being sold at 8 to 37 per cent less than its cost. This means the kharif crops are being sold at an average of 22.5 per cent less than the MSP," she said.
Gandhi said the BJP government has created more worries for farmers by fixing the MSP of Rabi crops in 2020-21 at only 4 to 7 per cent higher than the last year.