Alleging that some people were politicising the Madhya Pradesh farmers' protest to gain their lost grounds, Union minister Ravi Shankar…
Ravi Shankar Prasad (PHOTO: Facebook)
Alleging that some people were politicising the Madhya Pradesh farmers' protest to gain their lost grounds, Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on Friday said Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has done a commendable work for peasants' welfare.
He, however, admitted that the Central government is yet to find solutions to various problems being faced by farmers.
"Agriculture growth rate in Madhya Pradesh is 20 per cent, which is the highest in the country. Shivraj is a very popular chief minister and he did a very good job for farmers' welfare. He had recently said that some political parties were behind instigating the farmers," Prasad said.
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Speaking to reporters here during a programme to celebrate the third anniversary of the Narendra Modi government, the Union law and justice minister said, "I am not claiming that our government has fixed all the problems faced by farmers."
"Our prime minister had said that he wants to double farmers' income by 2022, for which, we are adopting new technologies, such as soil health card and neem-coated urea," he said.
"Farmers can definitely register their protest and it is our duty to listen to their demands. But, some people are intentionally linking the farmers' stir with their political ambitions to gain their lost ground," Prasad said without naming any political leader.
Farmers in western Madhya Pradesh, particularly in Mandsaur and Dewas districts, have been protesting for a week demanding debt relief and better crop prices.
Five farmers were killed on Tuesday in police firing at Mandsaur after their agitation turned violent.
Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi and other senior party leaders were detained by Madhya Pradesh police when they tried to make their way to Mandsaur yesterday.
Asked if opposition parties were also behind the recent suicide of farmers in Maharashtra, Prasad said, "I never said that. The chief minister of Maharashtra has already announced that he is planning to bring in a comprehensive package to ease farmers' woes."
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