Govt cheating farmers, MSP hike less than even inflation rate: Congress

New Delhi: The Congress on Saturday accused the Modi government of cheating farmers and said the Minimum Support Price for rabi crops announced by it is even lesser than the rate of inflation.

Congress general secretary Randeep Surjewala said even as the BJP dispensation is patting its back for MSPs, it has in fact "duped the farmers" and claimed that their hard labour has got lost in the lights of Diwali.

"The Modi government has once again cheated the farmers on the MSPs. The MSP of Annadata farmers' hard work got lost again in the lights of Diwali. The Modi government patted its back by announcing the MSP of rabi crops, but duped the farmer and left them to shed tears of blood," he said in a series of tweets in Hindi.

Calling out the BJP for what it called as "fraud with farmers", he said the bitter truth is that the Modi government only announces MSP but does not buy crops on the MSP and demanded that the MSP law granting legal status to MSP is urgently required.

"BJP's 'Shakuni Chausar' has made the farmer's life difficult. No Cost+50 percent, no fair price neither enough buying. Neither is the law on MSP being made. Modi ji promised in 2014 that he will give cost plus 50 per cent to farmers. Cost+50 per cent is far away, the declared MSP is less than the MSP demanded by the BJP governments themselves," he claimed, alleging betrayal with the annadata.

The Rajya Sabha MP said leaders can say rhetoric, but statistics don't lie, claiming that the Congress-UPA government increased the MSP by 205 per cent while in the last eight years of the Modi government, the increase in MSP is only 40 per cent.

"The MSP declared by the Modi government is even less than the inflation rate of the country. Inflation increased more and the MSP was less.

"Countrymen, please think and speak about the 70 crore farmers and farm labourers of the country for two minutes on Diwali. Think about the toiling farmer-labourer, because of whom you eat even if he destroys himself. Happy Diwali everyone. Jai Jawan," he said.

The central government earlier this week raised the MSP of six rabi crops by up to 9 per cent, with Rs 110 per quintal increase for wheat crop to boost domestic production and farmers' income.

Wheat MSP has been raised by 5.45 per cent to Rs 2,125 per quintal from Rs 2,015 per quintal to encourage more area under the crop amid tight government stock position owing to low procurement, fall in production and higher exports.