MSP Will Not Be Done Away With: PM Modi in Rajya Sabha

Prime Minister Narendra Modi replied to the Motion of Thanks on President Ram Nath Kovind's address in Rajya Sabha on Monday. With the eyes of the world on India, PM Narendra Modi said he is confident that India will contribute to the planet's betterment.  He appreciated the people who fought together against the pandemic. The pandemic added new strength to our federal structure and the spirit of cooperative federalism, he said.

The Prime Minister said he believed that India is the "Mother of Democracy" where the nation's temperament lies in being democratic but the country has a new entity known as Andolan Jivi.  This "jivi" can be spotted wherever there is a protest, whether it is agitation by lawyers, students, or labourers, explicitly or implicitly, he said.

As Live Mint reported, "PM Modi says that there is a need to identify 'andolan jivi' who are parasites, feasting on every agitation." Apart from being saved from the Andolan Jivis, the country also needs to be protected from FDI – Foreign Destructive Ideology, he said.

"India's nationalism is not narrow, greedy or aggressive"

Addressing the Farm Bill issues and the protests that are happening, the Prime Minister said, "Every previous govt has spoken of agricultural reforms; everyone agrees on the need for reform in agriculture." He spoke of how apprehensions about something new is a normal feeling and that the country is proud of every Sikh who has contributed over generations to the nation. He reiterated that the bill would not take the MSP away, and the poor's affordable ration will continue to be present. "Small farmers continue to remain the focus of the policies," he said.

The country is young and full of enthusiasm, and it is essential that such opportunities will enable the creation of a strong foundation for the country's bright future, he remarked.

Reacting to PM's statement on MSP, farmer leader Rakesh Tikait said business over hunger will not be allowed in the country and once again demanded a law on minimum support price (MSP) for crops along with the repeal of the new contentious agri-marketing laws.

(Parvathi Sajiv is a student of the Symbiosis Centre of Media and Communication, Pune and is an intern with The Leaflet.)