Congress General Secretary in-charge Communications Jairam Ramesh on Saturday said that the INDIA bloc will give legal status to Minimum Support Price if it forms government after the Lok Sabha polls.

“We are in western UP and farmers’ issues hold a special place here. Our party president Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi announced the first guarantee of the Congress party – when our alliance (INDIA) comes to power, the law-giving guarantee for MSP will be formed. MSP is not ‘Modi Selling Price’, it is ‘Minimum Support Price’.”

 Amid the ongoing farmers’ protest, the work to open the road below the Singhu Border flyover, which was sealed in the wake of farmers’ ‘Delhi Chalo’ protest, has begun, a Delhi Police source told.

 As per the source, the lanes on the road below the flyover are being opened one by one.

The Singhu border, gateway to Haryana and Punjab, was closed on February 13, given the farmers’ ‘Delhi Chalo’ March. However, alternative routes were opened for vehicular movements.

 To press the Centre to accept their demands, including a legal guarantee for Minimum Support Price (MSP) for crops and farm debt waiver, the farmers have been camping at the border points since February 13 along with their tractor-trolleys, mini-vans, and pickup trucks.

However, during the last round of talks, which ended past midnight on February 18, the panel of three Union Ministers had proposed buying five crops — moong dal, urad dal, tur dal, maize, and cotton — from farmers at MSP for five years through central agencies.

 Meanwhile, farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher on Saturday, announcing the escalation of the ongoing protest, said that the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha and SKM (non-political) will hold a candle march on both Shambhu and Khanauri borders on Saturday evening, in memory of martyrs.

He said that on February 26, the effigies of the WTO, corporate houses, and governments will be burned.

 The farmer leader said, “On February 27th, Kisan Mazdoor Morcha, SKM (non-political) will hold a meeting of all its leaders from across the country. Meanwhile, “On 28th Feb, both forums will sit and hold a discussion.”

The agitating farmers from Punjab have raised various demands including an ordinance on ensuring legal guarantees for MSPs and loan waivers.

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