Cong leader Patwari leads protest at Chouhan house with farmers; BJP dubs it 'political stunt'

Bhopal, Oct 15 (PTI) Madhya Pradesh Congress president Jitu Patwari, along with a group of farmers, on Wednesday marched from the party office to Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan's Bhopal residence, where he met the latter and demanded MSP for crops.

The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) called the march a "political stunt" by Patwari and an "insult" to "God of Food", saying the Congress leader's actions were unbecoming of a responsible leader.

Before reaching Chouhan's residence, Patwari spoke to a group of farmers, who had gathered from various districts at the state Congress office in Bhopal, and listened to their problems. Afterwards, carrying a sack of grain on his shoulder, the former state minister walked with farmers to Chouhan's residence, also known as 'Mama Ka Ghar', and began protesting there.

The Union minister, who was at his residence at the time of the protest, called Patwari inside and spoke to him. Later, the former Madhya Pradesh CM also invited the cultivators inside his home and interacted with them.

During this time, Patwari and farmers raised slogans like "We want bhaav (MSP), not Bhavantar (price differential)." Speaking to reporters, the MPCC president said, "Modi ji (Prime Minister Narendra Modi) had guaranteed Rs 3,100 per quintal as MSP (Minimum Support Price) for paddy, Rs 2,700 for wheat and Rs 6,000 per quintal for soybean." However, the MSP has not been paid to soybean farmers so far, the Congress leader claimed.

He said even when Chouhan was Chief Minister, farmers did not receive a single rupee under the Bhavantar Yojana (later discontinued), which allowed the state government to compensate if cultivators received rate lower than MSP.

On Tuesday, the state cabinet revived the Bhavantar Yojana to ensure fair prices for soybean.

Under the scheme, farmers will sell their soybean stocks in mandis (markets), and if they receive a price lower than the MSP, the government will compensate for the loss (difference in rates).

The government has fixed the MSP for soybean under this scheme at Rs 5,238 per quintal.

Meanwhile, slamming Patwari, state BJP president Hemant Khandelwal, in a statement, said the demonstration by the MPCC president at Chouhan's residence was a "political stunt" and an "insult" to farmers.

"Patwari has committed an act unbecoming of a responsible leader. Without any prior notice, he arrived at the residence of our popular Union Agriculture Minister. He first talked about soybean and then arrived to protest with wheat. This shows he was not concerned about farmers and protested only for TV cameras," he maintained.

Such "political dramas" without prior notice was an insult to democratic traditions, Khandelwal insisted.

"I commend Shivraj Singh Chouhan for respectfully inviting Patwari and farmers (inside his home) and speaking to them," he stated.

The state BJP president said it is condemnable that Patwari went inside's Chouhan's house after leaving farmers outside, and was later busy "acting" in front of television cameras.

"His kurta was adorned with a microphone, cameras, and videotaping equipment, indicating this was merely a media show. No amount of criticism would be enough for this indecent act by Patwari," asserted Khandelwal.

Congress leaders are not concerned about real issues or welfare of farmers and they are just interested in stunts and politics, he opined.

Meanwhile, cops registered an FIR at the TT Nagar police station against Patwari and others for protesting outside Chouhan's residence without taking prior permission.

Besides Patwari, MP Congress Media Cell chairman Mukesh Nayak and more than 30 other individuals were named in the FIR, a police official said. PTI MAS RSY