Centre In Cahoots With Profiteers, Does Not Want To Give MSP To Farmers, Alleges Akhilesh Yadav

Samajwadi Party president and former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav on Tuesday attacked the Centre alleging that the government is in cahoots with profiteers and it does not want to give MSP to the farmers. Speaking to reporters in the UP Assembly after three SP candidates filed their nomination papers, Akhilesh Yadav said, "Why is the government, which wants to garner votes in the name of farmers and has given Bharat Ratna to (MS) Swaminathan and farmers' leader Chaudhary Charan Singh, not giving MSP to the farmers?" "Either the government does not want to give MSP or it is in collusion with big people and those who want to make profits. The result is that the government is doing such works to suppress the voice of the farmers," he said.

Referring to the hurling of multiple rounds of teargas shells by the Haryana Police at Shambhu border near Ambala, Yadav said, "Whatever is happening, the way tear gas is being used to stop the farmers; and iron nails, concrete blocks and walls (of containers) are being put, they are being done to stop the movement (of the farmers). They are doing whatever they can through the administration." Yadav also said, "The government in Delhi deliberately wants to suppress the voice of farmers. These are the same people who had told the farmers that their income will double, MSP will be implemented and they will get the price of their crops. But nothing happened."

"A few years ago you saw that farmers came and sat on strike. More than 800 farmers lost their lives. But even after that the government is not ready to give MSP to the farmers," he said. The Haryana Police on Tuesday hurled multiple rounds of tear gas shells, including through drones, at the Shambhu border near Ambala to disperse the farmers marching towards Delhi demanding enactment of a law on minimum support price. Chaotic scenes were witnessed near the border as farmers used tractors to remove cemented blocks which had been placed as part of the barricading by the Haryana police on the Ghaggar river bridge to prevent them from marching forward.

Asked about the inauguration of a temple in Abu Dhabi by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the SP chief said, "There are temples of God everywhere and spread across the world. You will find many temples of Lord Ram and Krishna. Go to Europe, Russia, Abu Dhabi and America. There are temples of God everywhere. These temples are not being built today. (Even) I don't know since when (these are being built)." "If we enquire, then (we will come to know) many people from other countries get influenced and come to India which is the country of our religions. People come here for peace," he said.

Invoking Swami Vivekanand, he said, "We should remember Swami Vivekananda. He had said that there is no dearth of religions in our country. There are many religions but when will we get bread and when will we get employment?" "Religion has its own place. Religion is different. But it is the responsibility of the government to ensure that people get employment, food, social justice and the rights and respect of farmers are maintained.