Dushyant Chautala breaks silence on farmers’ agitation, says Centre accepted MSP demand

Talking about the ongoing agitation by farmers, Dushyant Chautala said the Haryana government has deployed over 1,000 civil employees, doctors and health care staff, red cross staff, and sanitation workers at the protest sites to ensure the safety and security of farmers.

Breaking his silence on the ongoing farmers’ agitation, Haryana Deputy Chief Minister Dushyant Chautala Thursday said the Centre has accepted farmers’ demand of assuring minimum support price (MSP) in writing and it is now up to the farm unions to decide on the same.

Speaking to mediapersons after hosting Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar and his cabinet colleagues for lunch at his residence in Chandigarh, Dushyant said, “The demand of farmers that the Union government must ensure MSP in writing has been fulfilled yesterday. Uske upar unki unions ka kya nirnaya hoga, voh toh unki movement ki baat hai (It is up to their movement to decide what is their take on the government’s proposal).”

Responding to queries over various JJP leaders speaking in favour of farmers, Dushyant said, “I am also saying that I am a farmer first. When did I ever deny that? But, it is our responsibility for getting the farmer adequate price for his crop.”

“Our government, even in the last procurement and this procurement, has ensured that each and every penny of farmers’ produce goes into their bank account. Even Punjab has not been able to do so till date. Rajasthan could not even begin the process. We are assuring that we shall procure the crop in future and also put entire money for it in the farmer’s bank account. We hope that when MSP comes in writing, demands that are being raised by the farmers of other states shall also get fulfilled,” he added. Follow Farmers Protest LIVE Updates

On Wednesday, the Centre sent a 20-page proposal to the agitating farm unions, offering significant concessions ranging from a written assurance on continuation of MSP-based procurement and ensuring parity in transactions inside and outside existing Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) mandis. However, the farmer unions rejected the proposals, several of which will require amending two of the new laws, as the government said.

Talking about the ongoing agitation by farmers at various borders of Delhi, Dushyant said the Haryana government was ensuring that law and order was maintained at the protest sites. Over 1,000 employees of civil administration, besides doctors and health care staff, red cross staff, and sanitation workers were working round the clock to ensure the safety and security of the farmers who have gathered at such sites, he said,

He also reiterated his earlier stand where he had said if the MSP is abolished, he would resign from the government.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar stood firm on his support to the contentious new farm legislations, saying, “We are procuring the crop on MSP in Haryana. In the coming times also, procurement shall be done on MSP. In the Congress government, former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda had also agreed on MSP. We always think of farmers’ welfare. Congress, rather, ran way from the discussion in the Vidhan Sabha”.

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