‘Modi govt trying to ruin farming community by increasing fertilizer prices’

Bengaluru: Accusing the BJP government at the Centre of trying to ruin the farming community by increasing the prices of fertilizers, senior Congress leader Siddaramaiah on Friday termed it an ”anti-farmer” act.

The Leader of the Opposition in Karnataka, in a series of tweets, said the price increase would destroy farmers. “The Central BJP government is trying to ruin the farming communities by increasing the prices of fertilizers.

After troubling farmers through anti-farmer acts, the government is now making inputs costly,” Siddaramaiah tweeted. The ”anti-farmer” Narendra Modi government has increased the prices of fertilizers by more than 60 per cent, he said.

The prices of DAP fertilizer had increased by Rs 1,400 per quintal from April 1. It was earlier Rs 2,400 and Rs 3,800 now. Prices of Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potash have been increased by Rs 1,250 per quintal.

It was available at Rs 2,350, but now farmers have to pay Rs 3,600.

“This increase will destroy farmers,” he said. The former Chief Minister termed as ”absolutely baseless,” the Centre citing the increase in international prices as the reason for the hike.

“An amount of Rs 1,33,947 crore of subsidy was given last year, but it was reduced to Rs 79,530 crore from this year. Hence market prices have increased,” Siddaramaiah said.

He took a dig at the BJP government in Karnataka and its MPs for not having the courage to question the ”anti- farmer” policies of the Modi government, saying “this attitude of the BJP leaders will surely destroy Annadatas (farmers).”