Overview
- Congress communications chief Jairam Ramesh on Oct. 22 accused the prime minister and his colleagues of manufacturing a bullish economic narrative in a post on X.
- He said market prices for maize, soybean, moong, arhar, cotton and bajra are well below their corresponding minimum support prices.
- He reiterated farmers’ demand for a legal guarantee of MSP and noted earlier support for such a measure from a former vice president.
- Coverage also highlights strains in Maharashtra, where heavy rains and floods have caused crop losses, soybean and cotton prices remain depressed, and procurement hurdles persist.
- Opposition figures in the state describe this festive season as a “Black Diwali” for farmers and allege relief has fallen short, citing Rs 31,000 crore announced versus roughly Rs 1,800 crore disbursed and staging protests at district offices.