The politics over the minimum support price (MSP) for farm products are playing out in full swing in the run-up to the elections. A day after the Centre announced a hike in MSP for 14 kharif products, the Congress questioned its credibility by arguing that the Modi government never backed up such hikes by actually procuring the farm products at the stated MSPs.

“The nine years of the Modi government will always be remembered as an era of anti-farmer policies and for its hypocrisy and brutality. While the Modi cabinet has announced (new) MSPs for rabi crops, the bitter truth is that the farm products are not bought at MSP rates. Further, there is no sign of MSPs being made equal to “cost plus 50% profit” basis. The DNA of the Modi government is anti-farmer as its mantra is to merely declare MSP rates but not buy crops at MSP,” alleged AICC general secretary Randeep Surjewala at the official briefing.

The AICC, meanwhile, disapproved the party’s minister for animal husbandry K Venkatesh seeking a review of the ban on cow slaughter in the state.