Amid the ongoing farmers’ agitation demanding a hike in sugarcane prices, former Haryana Chief Minister and Leader of Opposition Bhupinder Singh Hooda has criticised the BJP government’s recent price increase, describing it as a “cruel joke” on farmers.
“The BJP government’s decision to increase the sugarcane procurement price by a mere Rs 15 is nothing but a mockery of farmers. The government has raised the price by just 3 per cent at a time when inflation continues to soar,” Hooda said while addressing mediapersons in Rohtak on Saturday.
Former CM pointed out that during the Congress government’s nine-and-a-half-year tenure (2005–2014), there was a historic increase in sugarcane prices. “At that time, the price was raised from Rs 117 per quintal to Rs 310 per quintal, an increase of Rs 193, or 165 per cent. This translates to an average annual increase of approximately 18.3% during that period,” he claimed.
Hooda asserted that “In contrast, over the 12 years of the BJP government, the sugarcane price has been increased by only Rs 120, from Rs 310 to Rs 430 per quintal, representing a total hike of just 39 per cent. This amounts to an average annual increase of only about 3.25 per cent. In other words, the Congress party’s increase was six times greater than that of the BJP,” he stated.
He said as for other crops, the prices of agricultural produce saw an average annual increase of 14–15 per cent during the Congress tenure. In contrast, under the BJP’s tenure, this growth had dropped to a mere 5 per cent. In other words, the Congress increased the minimum support price (MSP) at a rate three times higher than that of the BJP, he claimed.
“When it comes to ensuring fair prices for the farmers and increasing those prices, the BJP falls far short of the Congress,” Hooda pointed out.
The Ex-CM stated that under the BJP government, inflation had been rising at an alarming pace every year. “Today, the prices of petrol, diesel, and cooking gas are skyrocketing. Everything, from farming equipment, fertilisers, seeds, and pesticides to the cost of labour, has become so expensive that the farmers are being forced to abandon agriculture,” he added.
In reply to a question, Hooda claimed that the Congress party’s ‘Save Vote, Save the Nation’ campaign was receiving overwhelming support across Haryana.
“The public has become vigilant following the exposure of the BJP’s ‘vote theft.’ In the 2029 elections, the people will not allow the BJP or the Election Commission to engage in any theft of votes,” he added.