Farm bills: Stalin hits back at Palaniswami, says farmers are demanding MSP

A day after Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K Palaniswami's poser on what's wrong with farm bills passed by Parliament, DMK chief M K Stalin on Wednesday said ryots were protesting as there was no mention of minimum support price (MSP) in the legislations and asked him to spell out the reasons for supporting the Centre's move.

Taking a swipe at Palaniswami who said he was doing farming even today and was proud to call himself a farmer, the DMK top man said: "a person who calls himself a farmer will not support the bills that are totally against them."

Stalin, the Leader of the Opposition in the state assembly, asked the chief minister to respond to the charges of the farmers of various states protesting against the "anti farmers" bills.

The farmers in several states are protesting against the three bills, which the Centre claims will open up the tightly-controlled agriculture sector to free-market forces.

Hitting out at the DMK, Palaniswami had said "If Stalin can explain what is wrong in these provisions it will be good.

Farmers will not be affected, these benefit them and that is why we have supported."

In a release here, Stalin said: "Everywhere the farmers are demanding Minimum Support Price (MSP) for their produce.

After backing the BJP in both the houses of Parliament on the bills which have no mention of the MSP, the chief minister speaks in support of the anti-farmer bills.

"Is he really a farmer (as he claims) or feigns to be a farmer," he said, referring to Palainiswami's remarks that he was a farmer and he took pride in calling himself so.

Wondering what made Palaniswami to ask his AIADMK to support the Centre on the issue, Stalin asked the chief minister to find out if words like MSP figure in the bills.

"If he cant, then will he apologise to the farmers with folded hands?" he asked.

On Palaniswami saying he (Stalin) did not know anything about agriculture, the DMK leader said there was no need for one to be a farmer to review the bills and comment.

"Basic knowledge on agriculture and concern for the farmers' welfare will suffice to express the views," he said.

Palaniswami has "no moral right" to claim to be a farmer as there had been corruption everywhere, including in the PM Kisan scheme, he alleged.

The AIADMK has supported the Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill 2020, The Farmers'

(Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill 2020 and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill 2020 and Palaniswami has said these would benefit farmers.