Congress offers agitating farmers MSP law if voted to power

New Delhi: In view of the ongoing farmer's protest, or eyeing the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, Congress on Monday announced a law that guarantees a minimum support price (MSP) for various crops if elected to power in the polls, NDTV reported.

In a Hindi post on X, Rahul Gandhi told the agitating farmers that the day is a historic day since his party decided to give a legal guarantee of MSP to every farmer on crops as per the Swaminathan Commission. He said that the law would change the lives of 15 crore farmer families, ensuring their prosperity. It is Congress's first guarantee on the path of justice, he said.

The fresh bout of agitation by the farmers is aimed at the Centre accepting their demands, like enacting a law to guarantee MSP. The protests were being called by the farmers' organisations like Sanyukt Kisan Morcha and Punjab Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee and is led by farmers' union leaders like Jagjeet Singh Dallewal and Sarwan Singh Pandher.

The farmers argue that the Centre had promised them better prices for crops in 2021, which made them end the massive protest that year.

In addition to a law guaranteeing MSP for all crops, recommended by the Swaminathan Commission, they are also demanding a complete debt waiver as well as a scheme to provide pensions to farmers and farm labourers.

Meanwhile, the President of the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) has written a letter to the Chief Justice of India (CJI), DY Chandrachud, to initiate suo motu action against the farmers for forcibly trying to enter Delhi.

In his letter to CJI, SCBA President Adish Aggarwala on Tuesday said that this is the right time when the Supreme Court should act suo motu (on its own motion) and ensure that these farmers don't create any nuisance and cause huge inconvenience to the general public.