I'm not getting MSP for crops, farmers' protest justified: Ram Gopal Yadav

By Ashoke Raj
New Delhi [India], December 4 (ANI): Calling himself a farmer and justifying the farmers' protest, Member of Parliament and senior Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Ram Gopal Yadav said that he has not got Minimum Support Price (MSP) for his maize crop.
Sharing his personal experience and taking jibe at the central government, senior SP leader Yadav told ANI, "I have grown maize crops and government had announced MSP of Rs 2,660 per quintal but I got Rs 1,050. Across India nowhere farmers are getting MSP for their crops."
Commenting upon the new farms laws, SP leader said, "The new laws are anti-farmer and it will end the APMC system which currently operates in the country."
"We all know that the new farms laws are not in the interest of farmers and the current government is not ready to listen to farmers' issues," he added.
Yadav said that as per the available data, 60 per cent of employment in the country is based on agriculture.
"If the farmer remains prosperous, then the country will remain prosperous. In 2016, the share of (agriculture in) GDP was 18 per cent, but now it has become 12 per cent in five years. Farmers are not getting value for their hard work in farming," he said.
The Samajwadi Party will announce a march across Uttar Pradesh in support of protesting farmers, Yadav said.
Thousands of farmers have gathered in and around Delhi to protest against the three farm laws.
On Thursday, the farmers held the fourth round of talks with the Centre and said the government had talked of some amendments to farm laws.
Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar had said after the talks that the government has no ego and it was discussing the issues raised by farmers with an open mind.
"The government will discuss points that emerged at the meeting on Friday and hopes that talks will move towards finality when the next round of discussions are held on Saturday," the minister had said.
The farmers are protesting against the Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020, and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020. (ANI)