Swaminathan's Bharat Ratna, a way to divert attention from Centre's anti-farmer stance: NCP (SP)

'If the BJP led central government truly believed in conferring the Bharat Ratna to Dr. M S Swaminathan, then they must also give the farmers the MSP that he wanted them to have', party spokesperson Clyde Crasto said.

Mumbai: Hitting out at the Narendra Modi-headed Centre, the Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP) on Monday asked why the BJP-led government is not implementing the MSP recommended by noted agriculture scientist late Dr. M S Swaminathan, who was recently conferred Bharat Ratna, the highest civilian honour.

“It is more than two weeks since the current farmers' protest started. The farmers are stopped by the government from entering Delhi and placing their demands. They protested in 2020-21 too and after many lives were lost, the government took back the three farm laws as demanded by the farmers,” NCP (SP) national spokesperson Clyde Crasto said.

According to him, one of the main demands of the farmers is the implementation of MSP based on the formula recommended by Dr. Swaminathan, but the government is not willing to implement the same.

“On the one hand, the BJP led Central government conferred the Bharat Ratna, our country's highest civilian award to Dr. Swaminathan, but on the other, they are not implementing his formula of MSP. This act by the government to show that they are pro farmers by giving an honour to an agricultural scientist appears to be a way to divert attention from their anti-farmer stance,” he said.

“If the BJP led central government truly believed in conferring the Bharat Ratna to Dr. M S Swaminathan, then they must also give the farmers the MSP that he wanted them to have,” Crasto said.