Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday slammed the Narendra Modi-led government at the Centre over the farmers’ protest saying it is trying to “curb” the voice of the farmers.

He also accused the ruling dispensation of backtracking from its promises which it had made to the farmers of the country in the past 10 years.

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Referring to barbed wires and iron nails installed at borders in view of the protest, the Congress chief in a post on X wrote, “The dictatorial Modi government is trying to curb the voice of farmers.”

Kharge, who is also the Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha further said, “In 10 years, the Modi government has backtracked from three of its promises made to the food providers of the country.’

Among the promises, he claimed the BJP has backtracked, was to double farmers’ income by 2022 and legal status to Minimum Support Price (MSP).

“Now the time has come to raise the voice of the 62 crore farmers,” he added.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said on social media that his party has decided to give legal guarantee of MSP to every farmer on crops as per Swaminathan Commission (if voted to power after general elections).

”This step will change the lives of 15 crore farmer families by ensuring their prosperity. This is the first guarantee of Congress on the path of justice,” he stressed.

Echoing similar sentiments, his party lawmaker Randeep Singh Surjewala at a press conference at the party headquarters said, “The Indian National Congress supports the farmers’ demand for justice. Our demand is that the Prime Minister himself should talk to the farmers and give them justice.”

He asserted that the Congress chief and party leader Rahul Gandhi are also fighting for farmers’ justice.

“Can’t the country’s food providers come to Delhi to demand justice ? If they do not seek justice from the Prime Minister and the government, then where should they go ? Why are the iron nails and barbed wires in the farmers’ path ?” he asked the Centre.

Attacking the government, Surjewala further said, “The 10-year tenure of the Modi government will be known as the period of cruelty against the farmers. To suppress the voice of the farmers, the BJP government has converted Delhi into a fortress.”