Congress accuses Modi government of failing India's farmers

NEW DELHI: The Congress on Thursday accused the Modi government of repeatedly blocking India's farmers from making any profits in the last 10 years and claimed that the pattern of policy making has been to not allow farmers to earn well when prices rise and leave them to fend for themselves when prices crash.

Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh posed questions to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on a day he held a rally in Hoshiarpur on the last day of campaigning.

''After peddling lies about the Father of the Nation yesterday, the outgoing PM is in Hoshiarpur for his final campaign event. Our last set of questions to him before the people of India, that is Bharat, bid him a long-awaited farewell,'' Ramesh said in his post on X.

''If not India's kisaans, will the outgoing PM guarantee MSP to Russia's farmers? Will the PM raise the 50% cap on reservations for Dalits, Adivasis and OBCs? Why does Adampur Airport offer only one flight route? Why has the Modi Sarkar failed to address the severe staff shortages at the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) in Chandigarh?'' he said listing his posers to the PM.

Elaborating on the questions, Ramesh claimed that for the last ''10 years, the outgoing PM has repeatedly blocked India's farmers from making any profits''.

''Yesterday, it was reported that the Modi Sarkar plans to import wheat from Russia after the election, thereby pushing down wheat prices in India and hurting our kisaans,'' he said.

''This is a long-established pattern in the Modi Sarkar's policymaking. When prices rise, farmers are not allowed to earn well, as exports are banned and the market is flooded with imports. But when prices crash, farmers are left on their own, deep in debt'' Ramesh alleged.

''The only beneficiaries are the PM's 2A cronies, who have been taking control of grain storage and stand to profit from price fluctuations,'' he further alleged.

Ramesh said the Congress has given two key guarantees to farmers in this regard -- that MSP will be given legal status and set according to the formula recommended by the Swaminathan Commission, and that a stable, predictable policy for the import and export of agricultural goods will be developed in consultation with farmers.

''What is the outgoing PM's vision for India's farmers? Will he draw up his import-export policy to favour them or to favour Russian farmers and his industrialist friends? If not India's kisaans, will the outgoing PM guarantee MSP to Russia's farmers?'' Ramesh said.

He accused the PM of peddling ''conspiracy theories and misinformation'' regarding reservations.

The PM is yet to answer a fundamental question: will he commit to removing the 50 per cent limit imposed by the Supreme Court on reservations for Dalits, Adivasis, and OBCs, Ramesh said.

The Congress Party has guaranteed that it will do so to ensure equitable access to opportunities for all sections of society, he said.

What is the outgoing PM's vision for social justice, Ramesh asked.

He also raised the issue of Adampur airport.

''On 1st April 2024, after almost four years, flight operations at Adampur Airport finally resumed. The airport has remained non-operational since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Originally inaugurated in 2018, the airport was supposed to offer flights to Delhi, Mumbai, and Jaipur.

However, since April 1, 2024, only one route has been operational - from Adampur to Hindon Airport, Ghaziabad,'' he said ''Has the outgoing PM once again used a grand inauguration for political gain without genuinely providing greater connectivity to the people?'' Ramesh said.

Ramesh said the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) in Chandigarh is grappling with a severe staff shortage.

''With only 7 nursing staff members attending to almost 300 patients, each nurse is burdened with the care of approximately 50 patients at a time. This enormous workload is jeopardizing both patient care and staff well-being,'' he said.

Recently, the tragic suicide of a staff member has further highlighted the dire conditions at PGIMER Hospital, he said.

The Congress Nyay Patra guarantees that all vacancies in medical and paramedical posts in public health institutions, and all vacancies in medical colleges will be filled in three years, Ramesh said.

''What is the outgoing PM's vision to address the staff shortages at this once-prestigious medical institution?'' Ramesh said and asked the PM to break his ''silence'' on these issues.