Thakur reminder to AAP on demand for MSP payout by state governments

Union Minister Anurag Thakur on Friday wondered how Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann would respond to the farmer's agitation when the AAP had once demanded that the state governments pick up the tab for giving the minimum support price (MSP).

Talking to reporters here, Thakur said the next round of talks with the agitating farmers scheduled to be held on Sunday will be cordial and the farmers will not resort to violence and vandalism.

He reminded the AAP leadership that they wanted the state government to make payments towards MSP when the Congress was in power at the Centre.

''When there was a Congress government at the Centre, Arvind Kejriwal used to demand that the Punjab government make MSP payouts to the farmers. Bhagwant Mann also used to raise a lot of questions. Now, Mann is the chief minister. Will he respond to this (Kejriwal's) demand?'' the senior BJP leader asked.

The information and broadcasting minister said the Punjab government should maintain law and order in the state and expressed hope that farmers will not resort to violence and vandalism.

Thakur said the government has had a good round of talks with the farmers' leaders and the next round of talks will be held on Sunday.

''I am fully confident that the talks will be cordial on Sunday as well and we will work towards a resolution of the issues,'' he said.

Thakur said no government at the Centre has done as much for the farmers as the Narendra Modi government has done.

''In 2013-14, when the UPA government was in power, the agriculture budget was Rs 27,662 crore. Now the agriculture budget under the Modi government is more than Rs 1.25 lakh crore. We have transferred Rs 2.81 lakh crore directly to the bank accounts of more than 11 crore farmers through Kisan Samman Nidhi,'' Thakur said.

He said the total purchase of wheat, paddy, pulses and oilseeds was Rs 5.5 lakh crore during the Congress-led UPA regime, adding the Modi government has spent Rs 18.39 lakh crore towards procurement. ''If you compare our performance in any other area, the Congress will look completely pale in that too,'' Thakur said.