Bhopal: Madhya Pradesh Congress Committee president Jitu Patwari on Wednesday urged the state government to hold talks with protesting farmers, saying their demands should be addressed without delay.
In a statement, Patwari said the farmers’ march from Barkheda in Narmadapuram district to Bhopal reflected what he described as growing discontent among farmers over government policies.
He said the protesters were seeking 100% procurement of the moong crop, a legal guarantee for the Minimum Support Price (MSP), adequate fertiliser supplies and implementation of promises made to farmers.
Patwari criticised Chief Minister Mohan Yadav and Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, alleging that they had failed to respond to the concerns raised by the protesting farmers. He said the government should open discussions with farmer organisations and take steps to resolve the issues.
According to the Congress leader, the party supports the farmers’ protest and believes their demands are related to their livelihood and agricultural welfare.
The Congress also called for immediate procurement of the moong crop, adequate fertiliser availability, timely fulfilment of commitments made to farmers and dialogue with farmer organisations.
There was no immediate response from the Madhya Pradesh government or the Union Agriculture Ministry to Patwari’s statement.
