Congress' 'lie' on MSP exposed! 'No mention of MSP on all 23 crops and C2+50% formula in manifesto' (WATCH)

In a recent viral video interview, veteran journalist Karan Thapar took Congress Manifesto Committee member Praveen Chakravarty to task over the party's stance on Minimum Support Price (MSP) for farmers ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha Elections 2024. The exchange shed light on the Congress party's lack of clarity and potentially misleading promises regarding MSP for agricultural produce.

During the interview, Chakravarty revealed two critical points that have sparked controversy and raised questions about the Congress party's commitment to farmers' welfare.

Firstly, Chakravarty admitted that the Congress manifesto does not explicitly mention providing MSP for all 23 crops, a demand that was fervently advocated for by protesting farmers. This revelation directly contradicts the promises made by Congress leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, who have consistently pledged to ensure MSP for all crops based on the Swaminathan Commission's recommendations. By failing to specify which crops would be covered under the MSP guarantee, the Congress party has left room for doubt and uncertainty among farmers regarding the extent of support they can expect.

Secondly, Chakravarty's acknowledgment that the Congress manifesto does not mention the formula for calculating MSP, specifically the widely endorsed C2+50% formula proposed by the Swaminathan Commission, further highlights the party's lack of transparency and clarity on this crucial issue. The C2+50% formula ensures that farmers receive a fair and remunerative price for their produce, covering not just the cost of production but also providing them with a reasonable profit margin. By sidestepping this formula, the Congress party raises doubts about its commitment to ensuring fair compensation for farmers.

Here's a transcript of the whole interview:

Karan Thapar: He's talking about legal guarantee for the 23 crops that are presently and technically covered by the MSP. If that becomes enforceable by law, he says that the impact will be a 25-30% increase in food prices, which will translate into a cascading impact on inflation."

Chakravarthy: That's hypothetical because there is no mention of the word 23 crops, no mention of the formula, no mention of any of that

Karan Thapar: How many crops will be covered by your legally guaranteed MSP if not 23?

Chakravarty: Those are a matter of detail.

Karan Thapar: It's not a matter of detail, forgive me. The farmers when they were protesting a couple of weeks and months ago were insisting upon a legal guarantee written into law for all 23 crops. You are not saying to me that's a matter of detail, you haven't decided how many crops will be covered and therefore the number of crops to be covered could reduce to 2,3, 4 and 5. Not 23? That's implicit in your answer.

Chakravarty: You're putting words in my mouth again. The farmers wanted legal guarantee, there will be a legal guarantee. What will be the crops, what will be the formula, what are the new crops to be included, what are the old crops to be excluded... decisions have to be taken...

Karan Thapar: Wow you're now going even further. Forgive me, I'll just point it out without quarreling, one you don't know how many crops will be covered, which clearly suggests that all 23 crops which the farmers wanted covered will not be covered.

Chakravarty: That does not suggest that. Why do you see it as it suggests that. It could cover.

Karan Thapar: It could cover also means that it could not. When you say it could, it also means it could not.

Chakravarthy: I'm just saying it's premature.

Karan Thapar: It's not premature. It your manifesto. A manifesto is meant to be specific and precise. You first argued that you can't do the costing, we've explained why costing was necessary. Now, in terms of what you're talking about, you're lacking specificity because not only are you uncertain about the number of crops covered, you've now raised the question what is the formula which suggests C2+50% might not be the formula.

Chakravarthy: Karan, we have a manifesto that covers 35 topics with 345 points. To the best of my knowledge, our chief rival party does not even have one. We're not making a budget. We don't have access to a lot of the information.

Karan Thapar: I am not asking you the cost. I am asking you do you cover all 23 crops and your answer was we could, but we might not. Then you yourself raised the possibility that the formula might not be C2+50%. Two levels of uncertainty have suddenly crept in.

These revelations from Chakravarty's interview underscore a broader pattern of ambiguity and inconsistency in the Congress party's approach to addressing the concerns of farmers. Despite claiming to champion the cause of agrarian reform and farmer empowerment, the party's failure to provide concrete assurances on MSP for all crops and adherence to the Swaminathan Commission's recommendations exposes a significant gap between rhetoric and reality.

Meanwhile, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi lashed out at the BJP-led Centre on Thursday, saying, "Farmers are saying give us MSP, youngsters are saying give us employment, women are saying save us from inflation, but no one is listening."