Shivraj defends BJP's farmer initiatives, blames AAP
Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan responded to opposition accusations about the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) neglecting farmers. He stated that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Punjab was responsible for clearing farmers protesting at the border with Haryana. Chouhan spoke during a Lok Sabha debate about the agriculture ministry's budget. He criticized the opposition for failing to portray the BJP as anti-farmer. The minister highlighted several government initiatives that support farmers, including better access to credit and crop insurance. He asserted that the government's main goal is to ensure farmers' welfare. Opposition members, including leaders from the Congress and Samajwadi Party, accused the BJP of letting farmers down. They claimed the government was not delivering on promises like the minimum support price (MSP) and was stifling farmers' protests. This criticism followed the Punjab Police's detention of farmer leaders after they met with Chouhan in Chandigarh. Chouhan also pointed out that previous Congress governments did not implement key recommendations from the Swaminathan Commission regarding MSP. He asserted that foodgrain production had significantly increased under the BJP government, from 265 million tonnes during Congress rule to over 330 million tonnes now.