Rahul meets farm representatives in Haryana, discusses MSP issue

Ambala, Jan 9 The Bharat Jodo Yatra, which continued under the leadership of Rahul Gandhi, on Monday reached Ambala from Kurukshetra in Haryana amidst presence of thousands of women despite the biting cold.

Gandhi's yatra was warmly welcomed by 50 women on reaching Tyoda village in Shahabad. He also met families of farmers and women farmers who were martyred in the farmer's movement.

Farmer leaders of Haryana told Gandhi that Leader of Opposition Bhupinder Singh Hooda had given financial assistance of Rs 2 lakh each to the families of martyred families.

Farmer leaders said that during the agitation, MP Deepender Hooda helped in providing water, electricity, medical facilities and sanitation facilities at various dharnas.

On this occasion, representatives of various farmer organisations discussed problems of the farmers, including the MSP guarantee.

Farmer leaders also said the current government did not live up to the written agreement made by it during the farmers' movement last year.

In the meeting held in the presence of former Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, state Congress in-charge Shaktisinh Gohil, state Congress President Udaybhan, and MP Deepender Hooda, Gandhi listened to the farmers patiently.

Representatives of farmer organizations including Rakesh Tikait, Yudhveer Singh, Yogendra Yadav, Virendra Narwal, Prahlad Barukheda, Mandeep Nathwan, Joginder Nain, Rajbala, Deepak Lamba, Tejveer, Jagdeep Aulakh, Jogendra Tiger, among others, were present.

On this occasion, Hooda said the BJP government had failed on its promises of doubling farmers income by the year 2022.

"The anti-farmer face of the government has been completely exposed. The farmer is feeling cheated. Today the sugarcane farmers are on the streets but the government remains indifferent to the agitation. In 2015-16, the rate of sugarcane was Rs 317, if the income of the farmers had to be doubled, the rate should have been Rs 634," he said, pointing out the rate is only Rs 362 per quintal.

"The income of the farmers has not doubled, on the contrary, the debt and expenditure on the farmers have definitely doubled. The loan on farmers has increased from Rs 9 lakh to Rs 18 lakh crore. The prices of diesel-petrol, fertilisers are increasing rapidly.

Hooda said the Congress government in Haryana had increased the rate of sugarcane by a record breaking Rs 193, taking the rate from Rs 117 to Rs 310.

"Along with this, timely payment was also ensured, at the time of leaving the government in 2014, the sugarcane mills did not owe a single penny to the farmers," he pointed out.

While addressing the public meeting at Modha Mullana, Gandhi thanked the people of the state for making this visit special.

"Haryana has shown all other states what it is and what it can do. This land is the land of Mahabharata. The fight that was then is the same fight today," he said.