Modi's statements are either half-truths or lies and without any depth: Trinamool
Kolkata: Declining the Prime Minister Narendra Modi's claims, veteran Trinamool Congress leader and MP Saugata Roy said the farmers in the state were happy and hadn't written to the Centre expressing their grievances.
Earlier on Friday, Modi—in a televised address—accused the state government of neglecting the farmers by not implementing the PM Kisan Yojna.
"Modi's statements are either half-truths or lies and without any depth," the MP said. The veteran leader claimed that the farmers had not organised any movement in the state during the past 10 years as they were being looked after properly by the Mamata Banerjee-led government.
"Have you seen any movement by the farmers after 2011?" he asked.
During the Left Front regime, the farmers had organised Singur and Nandigram movements, led by
Banerjee.
He said the budget of the Agriculture department had increased 5 times from 2010-11. "The income of the farmers has gone up 3 times in the past 10 years. The average income of the farmers increased to Rs 2.91 lakh in 2017-18 from Rs 91,000 during 2010-11. But the Centre has failed to double the average income of the farmers. It will not be possible for them to reach the target before 2028," the MP said.
Demolishing Modi's claim that the opposition parties were trying to confuse the farmers by opposing the farm laws, Roy said: "The 3 laws are The farmers Produce Trade and Commerce (promotion and felicitation) Act, The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act and The farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act. Read the laws, they are not difficult and you will find that all 3 are meant to strengthen the hands of big businessmen sacrificing the interest of the farmers," the leader claimed.
Roy said the new acts would introduce contract farming as per which the farmers would make agreements with the businessmen before the farming season and the price of their produce would be
decided.
"Now, if their produce will be sold at higher prices, the businessmen will get the benefit. Also, the Agriculture Produce marketing Committee will be abolished and the farmers will be completely at the mercy of the businessmen. The sole intention of Modi is to ensure smooth sailing of big companies at the cost of the farmers. We will continue to oppose it and demand withdrawal of the three Acts," he insisted.