A large number of farmers have been camping at Shambhu and Khanauri border points between Punjab and Haryana since February 13 after their march to Delhi was stopped by security forces.
Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini on Tuesday said it is unfortunate that the Congress and the other opposition parties are doing politics in the name of farmers, even as he asked why some opposition-ruled states are not procuring all crops at MSP like Haryana.
During an interaction with mediapersons, Saini was asked if he would like to make any appeal to the protesting farmers from Punjab, who claim the authorities in Haryana are preventing them from marching to Delhi from the Shambhu border.
"I am the son of a poor farmer. I know the problems farmers face... I have done farming myself. I want to thank the prime minister, who in the past 10 years took several steps to empower the farmers," Saini said.
A large number of farmers have been camping at Shambhu and Khanauri border points between Punjab and Haryana since February 13 after their march to Delhi was stopped by security forces.
Besides legal guarantee of MSP for crops, their other demands include debt waiver and pension for farmers and farm labourers.
Expressing gratitude to Narendra Modi for entrusting a farmer's son with the state's responsibility, Saini said the prime minister has worked tirelessly over the past decade to empower and strengthen farmers in the country.
"MSP is not being discontinued but the Congress is losing people's trust," Saini said.
The Haryana government has ensured 100 per cent procurement of farmers' crops at MSP which the prime minister has been consistently increasing every year, the chief minister said.
"MSP bandh nahi ho raha hai, Congress ki dukandari bandh ho rahi hai. Aur jab Congress ki dukandari bandh hoti hai, toh phir kuch na kuch peeda hoti hai. Aur peeda hoti hai toh iss prakar ka dushprachar hota hai (MSP is not being stopped, it is the Congress' shop which is shutting. And when its shop shuts, it resorts to spreading misinformation)," Saini said.
He also challenged the Congress, which is in power in Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka and Telangana, to ensure 100 per cent MSP for crops in those states.
"I want to tell Rahul Gandhi and other Congress leaders that if they are so concerned about farmers, they should tell their party-led governments in Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka and Telangana to procure all crops at MSP," Saini said.
The chief minister also accused the members of the opposition INDIA bloc of exploiting farmers' issues for politics.
"AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal should assure Punjab's farmers of procuring all crops on MSP. He should introspect before pointing fingers at others. The entire nation has understood AAP's politics of corruption and offering lollipops," Saini said.
Meanwhile, Punjab farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher on Tuesday said the protesters will resume their foot march to Delhi on December 14, as there has been no message from the Centre for holding talks on their demands so far.
The agitating farmers under the banner of Samyukta Kisan Morcha (non-political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha suspended their foot march to Delhi from the Shambhu border on Sunday after some of them sustained injuries in teargas shelling by Haryana security personnel, who thwarted their attempt to cross the Punjab-Haryana border.