Rajya Sabha: Opposition MPs stage walkout amid protests over MSP, farmers' issues

New Delhi: A day after Vice President and Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar raised concerns over farmers' issues, Congress and some other Opposition parties on Wednesday walked out of the Upper House of the Parliament protesting against the government for not fulfilling the promise of increasing the minimum support price (MSP) for various crops.

In Rajya Sabha, five Opposition MPs had given notices to discuss farmers' issues, devastation caused by Cyclone Fengal, Adani issue and violence in Sambhal, but Dhankhar did not accept the demand for suspension of business to discuss these issues. Farmers from various regions of western Uttar Pradesh began a march to Delhi on December 2 after gathering at the Delhi-Noida border in recent days to stage a protest.

Congress MPs protested in the Rajya Sabha and lawmakers of parties like AAP, NCP (SP) and Shiv Sena (UBT) among others supported them in the demand for an immediate discussion on farmers issue, especially against the backdrop of Dhankhar's comments in Mumbai on Tuesday saying that he does not understand why there is no dialogue with protesting farmers.

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As Opposition MPs indulged in sloganeering, Dhankhar said, as he went ahead with the Zero Hour, "interest of farmers is not served by sloganeering and (shedding) crocodile tears. You are only politicising it. You don’t want a solution. Kisan (farmers) is your last priority."

Later, he allowed Congress Deputy Leader Pramod Tewari to speak on farmers' issues. Tewari said farmers are being lathi-charged for protesting against the government for not keeping its promises on granting a higher MSP.

"We have been demanding legal guarantee for MSP. The government has not kept its promise of raising MSP. Now, people in Constitutional posts are echoing the demand raised by us. I thank you (Dhankhar) for raising our demand. I request you to direct the government to provide the promised MSP," he said.

Some other MPs wanted to speak on the issue but the Chairman did not allow it, prompting MPs from Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT) and NCP (SP) to stage a walkout.

At a function to mark the centenary of ICAR-CIRCOT on Wednesday, Dhankhar had said, "I do not understand why there is no dialogue with the farmers... Agriculture Minister, I request you to please tell me, what was promised to the farmer? Why was the promise not fulfilled? What should we do to fulfil the promise? There was a movement last year, there is a movement this year, too."

Rajya Sabha Chief Whip Jairam Ramesh said on Wednesday, "we respect Vice-President. He is the guardian of Rajya Sabha and protector of the Constitution. The question he asked the Agricultural Minister, Congress has been asking the same question to the Prime Minister for the last 4-5 years. We want a discussion on the same thing. We are happy that the Vice President has asked this question."