Chandigarh: Punjab Congress president Amrinder Singh Raja Warring on Tuesday took a swipe at Punjab BJP chief Sunil Jakhar for "thanking" Prime Minister Narendra Modi for fertiliser subsidy, as if the Prime Minister had done "something revolutionary or for the first time."
Warring criticises Jakhar's praise for PM Modi
Warring asserted that fertiliser subsidy has been an official policy of all governments for a long time, and Prime Minister Modi was not the first to grant it, contrary to what Jakhar seemed to imply. He reminded the BJP leader that the Prime Minister also advises farmers to avoid using fertilisers. "What is the point in claiming to provide subsidies on fertilisers, when at the same time you tell them not to use these?" Warring questioned.
Subsidy not enough to cover rising costs
The Punjab Congress chief argued that no amount of subsidy would be sufficient to offset other input costs for farmers, such as diesel, labour, and rising inflation. "These things will offset all the benefits of the so-called subsidy, which the government had to provide in any case to the farmers," Warring stated. He added that the government was not doing any special favour to the farmers, as they are the ones feeding the nation.
Warring's remarks come amid a political tussle over agricultural policies, with the Congress accusing the BJP of misleading farmers while cutting subsidies on essential inputs.
