Bharat Ratna for Chaudhary Charan Singh is honour for farmers, Congress does not want to honour tillers, poor, Dalits...": PM Modi

Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) [India], February 19 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said that honouring former Prime Minister Charan Singh with Bharat Ratna was an honour for crores of farmers for the country and took a dig at Congress, saying that the party thought that only "one family" had the right over the country's top civilian honour.
Addressing the 'Viksit Bharat, Viksit Uttar Pradesh' programme here during which he launched 14,000 projects across Uttar Pradesh worth more than Rs 10 lakh crore, the Prime Minister also referred to the ruckus in Rajya Sabha during the budget session of Parliament when RLD MP Jayant Chaudhary, who is grandson of Chaudhary Charan Singh, was speaking and said the Congress had made it difficult to speak about the late leader.
Jayant Chaudhary, who was part of the INDIA block along with Congress, has moved to the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance. While Jayant Chaudhary was speaking, Congress members demanded that they should also be allowed to speak on the Bharat Ratna honour on Chaudhary Charan Singh and other personalities by the government.
"Some days back we had the good fortune to announce Bharat Ratna for the messiah of farmers Chaudhary Charan Singh. Honouring Chaudhary Charan Singh, the son of Uttar Pradesh, is honouring the crores of farmers and labourers in the country. But unfortunately, Congress does not understand this. They had made it difficult to speak about Choudhary Charan Singh in Parliament," PM Modi said.
"Congress used to think that Bharat Ratna is property of one family and hence the honour was not conferred on Baba Saheb Ambedkar. They keep Bharat Ratna in their family. Congress... does not want to honour farmers, labourers, Dalits, backwards," he alleged.
PM Modi praised Chaudhary Charan Singh's contribution to the small farmers. "We are empowering the country's farmers with the inspiration of Chaudhary Sahab".
The Prime Minister reiterated the government's commitment to supporting farmers in exploring new avenues in agriculture. "We are assisting and encouraging farmers to take our country's agriculture on a new path."
He emphasized the focus on natural farming and millets, citing the emergence of large-scale natural farming along the banks of the Ganges in Uttar Pradesh, which not only benefits farmers but also helps preserve the purity of sacred rivers.
Addressing food processing entrepreneurs, Prime Minister Modi urged them to prioritize the mantra of "zero effect, zero defect" in their endeavours. He emphasized the importance of working towards a common goal of having Indian food products on dining tables across the globe, highlighting the success stories of products like Siddharth Nagar's Kala Namak rice and Chandauli's black rice, which are now being exported in significant quantities.
Highlighting the growing trend of millets as superfoods, Prime Minister Modi emphasized the need for investment in this sector. "This is the right time for investment in superfoods like millets."
The Prime Minister encouraged entrepreneurs to form partnerships with farmers, underscoring the government's efforts in empowering small-scale farmers through Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) and cooperative societies, which present opportunities for mutually beneficial partnerships.
"Benefit to farmers and agriculture is good for your business too," PM Modi told the investors.
Reflecting on Uttar Pradesh's pivotal role in driving the rural economy and agriculture-based economy of India, Prime Minister Modi called upon stakeholders to maximize the benefits of this opportunity. He expressed confidence in the capabilities of the people of Uttar Pradesh and the efforts of the double-engine government in laying the foundation for the state's and the nation's progress.
Uttar Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh were among those present at the event which marked the fourth groundbreaking ceremony of UP Global Investors Summit 2023 held in February 2023.