"Real tribute will be to give legal guarantee of MSP...": Jairam Ramesh on three leaders to be conferred Bharat Ratna

New Delhi [India], February 9 : Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said that contribution by former Prime Ministers PV Narasimha Rao and Chaudhary Charan Singh as well as agricultural scientist MS Swaminathan was unprecedented but Modi government is maintianing silence on the legal status of providing minimum support price to farmers based on Swaminathan formula.
He further said that "providing farmers with legal guarantee of giving minimum support price based on the Swaminathan formula will be a true tribute to former Prime Minister Chaudhary Charan Singh ji and Swaminathan ji".
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday announced that former PM Chaudhary Charan Singh will be conferred with India's highest civilian honour 'Bharat Ratna'. Besides Singh, ex-PM PV Narasimha Rao and agricultural scientist MS Swaminathan will also be conferred with the top honour for their contribution for nation-building, democracy.
In a post on X, Congress Congress General Secretary in-charge Communications Jairam Ramesh said that due to the stubbornness of Prime Minister Modi, 700 farmers were martyred during the movement, but the government broke its promise to the farmers.
"PV Narasimha Rao, Chaudhary Charan Singh and MS Swaminathan were, are and will always be the gems of India. Their contribution was unprecedented, which every Indian respects. Modi government is silent on giving the legal status of minimum support price to farmers based on the Swaminathan formula. Due to the stubbornness of Prime Minister Modi, 700 farmers were martyred during the movement, but the government broke its promise to the farmers. Even today the farmers are ready to march to Delhi, but the government is not listening," he said.
"Providing justice to farmers is one of the main objectives of the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra. Our demand for 'Kisan Nyay' is that farmers should be given a legal guarantee of giving minimum support price based on the Swaminathan formula. This will be a true tribute to former Prime Minister Chaudhary Charan Singh ji and Swaminathan ji," he added.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday announced that Congress Veteran PV Narasimha Rao, former PM Chaudhary Charan Singh and economist MS Swaminathan will be conferred Bharat Ratna.
NV Subhash, PV Narasimha Rao's grandson, said that he feels emotional at this point because they have been expecting that the Bharat Ratna will be delayed.
Blaming the UPA government for making Narasimha Rao a scapegoat for the failures of the Congress party, Subhash said, "PM Modi has conferred PV Narasimha Rao, though he belongs to the Congress party. Now, I blame the UPA government, especially the Gandhi family, from 2004 to 2014, when the UPA government was in power in the centre, leave alone Bharat Ratna or any awards, the Gandhi family was very, very instrumental in making Narasimha Rao a scapegoat for the failures of the Congress party."
"It's a matter of pride and an honour for us that at this point, at this crucial juncture where Narendra Modi has become the national leader and as the leader of the whole world, he has been constantly recognising whether it is Bharat Ratna, Padma Vibhushan, or including the Bharat Ratna, it is. I feel very, very emotional at this point because we have been expecting that the Bharat Ratna would be delayed. As a family member, I also thank the BJP Telangana for their efforts and making this a grand success and the dream come true," he added.