)
Accusing the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre of being "anti-farmer", the Congress today said that it follows a NAMO policy - No Agriculture, Mal-governance Only.
"The Modi government follows a 'NAMO' Policy - No Agriculture, Mal-governance Only. It is one of the most failed governments India has experienced since Independence," AICC spokesman Sanjay Nirupam said here.
"While the Prime Minister is busy beating drums and playing violin from Japan to Mongolia, a grave agrarian crisis of unprecedented scale plagues the farm sector today putting a question mark on India's food security," he said.
"This epidemic catastrophe arises out of intentional indifference and cruel mal-governance of the BJP-led NDA government, which is deaf to the agony, anguish and request for help from the Indian farmers," Nirupam said.
ALSO READ: PM Modi has failed in everything: Lalu Yadav
Attacking the Narendra Modi government as an "anti-farmer government," the Congress leader said "prices of all crops are witnessing a free fall and the Government is unwilling to fix a fair Minimum Support Price."
"Burden of unseasonal rains, hailstorms leading to destruction of over 200 lakh hectares of Rabi crops is driving the farmers to suicide and bankruptcy. Extension of agricultural credit to farmers stands slashed by financial institutions. Agricultural exports have dipped. All these symbolises mal-governance of the Modi Government", he said.
Accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi of "catering to the needs of a few crony Capitalist friends," Nirupam said "Modi is hell bent on grabbing the farmers' prized possession, his land, through his Land Acquisition Ordinance."
The Congress leader was in favour of priority to marginal farmers with loan waiver programmes and control of private money lenders.
On the BJP-led NDA government's claim that there was economic growth with falling inflation rates, he said "Prices are going up. They have manipulated data in the Consumer Price Index. They have removed food, fruits and vegetables, prices of which are rising from the Consumer Price Index."
"When Export, agriculture development, production are down, then how the GDP is high? The Government has manipulated by changing the base year unlike in the Congress, when the base year was previous two to three years," Nirupam added.
