In a sharp critique of the long-ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in Madhya Pradesh, former agricultural minister Sachin Yadav launched a vehement attack on Tuesday, highlighting the persistent crisis of fertiliser scarcity faced by farmers even after 22 years of the party's rule.
Decades of Power, Persistent Problems
Yadav did not mince words while addressing the media in Bhopal. He pointed out that despite being in power for over two decades, the state BJP government has consistently failed to ensure a smooth and equitable supply of fertilisers to the agricultural community. The former minister alleged that farmers are still subjected to lathi-charges while standing in long queues, a stark indictment of the administration's management of this critical agricultural input.
"The BJP government has been in power for 22 years. And yet, even today, farmers have to face lathi-charge even as they stand in long queues for fertilisers," Yadav stated. He accused the system of favouritism, claiming that influential individuals easily obtain fertilisers, while genuine farmers are forced to wait for months. To add insult to injury, he alleged that the quality of fertiliser provided after such prolonged waits is often substandard.
Tall Claims vs Ground Reality for Farmers
Yadav also targeted Chief Minister Mohan Yadav's recent declarations about doubling farmers' income after completing two years in office. He dismissed these as "tall claims" that are disconnected from the harsh realities on the ground. According to the former minister, the state government has failed on two crucial fronts: providing fair prices for crops and extending comprehensive insurance coverage to protect farmers from losses.
"The ground realities are far from the claims being made. The government has failed to provide fair prices for crops and extend insurance coverage protection for farmers. This is the result of the anti-farmer policies of the government," Yadav argued. His comments paint a picture of a widening gap between political promises and the actual experiences of the agricultural sector in Madhya Pradesh.
A Contrast with the Previous Congress Tenure
To underscore his point about governance priorities, Sachin Yadav drew a comparison with the previous Congress government led by Kamal Nath. He acknowledged that the Kamal Nath administration had a short tenure of less than one and a half years. However, he credited it with implementing a significant loan waiver initiative.
Yadav claimed that the Congress government waived the loans of 27 lakh farmers across the state. This move, he asserted, had a transformative effect by bringing more than 10 lakh farmers who had defaulted on loan payments and were consequently barred from cooperative societies and banks back into the formal financial system. This comparison is clearly aimed at positioning the previous regime as more proactive on farmer welfare despite its brief time in power.
The scathing attack from a prominent political figure sets the stage for renewed debate on agricultural distress in Madhya Pradesh, a key heartland state. It brings the focus back on essential issues of input availability, price assurance, and debt relief that continue to challenge the farming community.
