Haryana elections: Saini only CM who pays MSP on 24 crops, says Shah

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday attacked the Congress, saying that its governments in various states do not pay the minimum support price to farmers as the BJP government in Haryana does.

"Rahul Gandhi talks about MSP all the time, but he doesn't even know what MSP is. He doesn't know about the crops grown in the Rabi and Kharif periods. Congress has governments in so many states, but not even one state gives MSP on 24 crops. Nayab Singh Saini is the only Chief Minister who pays MSP on 24 crops," Shah said while addressing a public rally in Kunjpura here on Sunday.

Shah, while addressing another rally in Mahendragarh, took a jab at Rahul Gandhi, accusing him of being a "factory of lies" regarding the Agnipath scheme.

Shah said, "Rahul Baba is saying that the youth of Haryana will become unemployed due to Agniveer. Bharosa mat karna, ye jhut bolne ki factory hai (Don't trust him; he's a factory of lies). He doesn't even understand the Agniveer scheme. Agniveer is a programme to keep our army young."

Notably, Rahul Gandhi had during the 2024 Lok Sabha election opposed the Agniveer scheme and said that Congress would scrap the Agnipath scheme in case the INDIA bloc is voted to power. The Congress leader had also demanded compensation for 1.5 lakh youths who completed the Army recruitment process.

In response, Shah assured that Agniveers would be provided with pensionable jobs by both the Haryana and Central governments.

"I promise you today that any Agniveer who invests Rs 25-30 lakh in FD (fixed deposit) and returns will be given a pensionable job by the Haryana and Central governments," Shah stated.

Targeting Congress over its stance on the One Rank, One Pension scheme, Shah questioned, "Who are you inciting? Your government was in power for 40 years, but you did not implement One Rank, One Pension."

Shah also accused Congress of running a corrupt regime in Haryana, claiming that during its rule, the state was dominated by "dealers, brokers, and sons-in-law."

"This Congress government is one of Dalal (brokers), dealers and damaad (sons-in-law). The Congress party has worked to give the farmers' land in Haryana at throwaway prices to their sons-in-law, and today they talk about farmers," he said.

Shah further criticized the previous Congress government in Haryana, saying, "On one hand, 10 years of Congress rule meant 10 years of family and son-in-law welfare, loot, and the humiliation of Dalits and backward classes. On the other hand, 10 years of BJP rule have been 10 years of youth development, good governance, and progress for 36 communities."

Haryana will go to the polls on October 5 to elect its 90-member state legislative assembly, with counting set to take place on October 8. In the 2019 elections, the BJP emerged as the single-largest party, securing 40 seats, while Congress won 30 seats.