In an attempt to reassure the farmers, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, on Sunday said that if someone tries to abolish Minimum Support Price (MSP) then he will leave politics.
Speaking at a public gathering here, Khattar said, “MSP (Minimum Support Price) will always be there. If someone tries to abolish it, Manohar Lal Khattar will leave politics. MSP will not end.”
Meanwhile, the farmers’ protest against the contentious farm bills passed by the Modi government in September entered day 26 on Monday. Khattar’s statement came after he met with Union agriculture minister Narendra Singh Tomar on Saturday and discussed the ongoing farmers’ issue.
“A solution to this issue (farmers’ protest) should be found through discussion. I have said that this issue should be resolved soon. The Centre is ready to talk to the farmers over their issues related to the new farm laws clause by clause,” the Haryana CM told news agency ANI after the meeting.
While Khattar said that another round of talks between the Centre and farmers’ unions could be on the cards, Tomar urged the protesting farm unions to spell out their “apprehensions” about the three agricultural laws in greater detail. He said that this was needed to have focused discussions on specific issues and that their grievances currently “lacked clarity”. The minister also urged farmers to specify a date for talks.
Farmers have been agitating at the gates of the national capital since November 26 against the recently enacted three farm laws — the Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020; the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020; and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020.