Congress walks out of Rajya Sabha over farmers’ issue

Opposition MPs walk out of Rajya Sabha protesting government's anti-farmer policies and unmet MSP promise, amid chaos and slogans.

The Congress and other Opposition party MPs staged a walkout from Rajya Sabha on Wednesday (December 4, 2024) to protest the government’s anti-farmer policies and for not fulfilling the promise of increasing the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for various crops.

The Congress members raised slogans after Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar disallowed motions seeking the business of the day to be set aside to discuss the farmers issue.

Mr. Dhankhar said that the “interest of farmers is not served by sloganeering and (shedding) crocodile tears”. “You are only politicising it. You don’t want a solution. Kisan (farmers) is your last priority,” he told Congress members and other Opposition MPs.

Amid the din, the Chairman took up Zero Hour mentions.

Initially, Mr. Dhankar did not allow the Opposition MPs to raise the issue but later relented and allowed Congress member Pramod Tiwari to make a brief one minute mention.

Mr. Tiwari said the government has not kept its promise of raising MSP. This has led to farmers again resorting to agitation, he said.

Soon after he spoke, the Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT) and NCP (SP) members staged a walkout from the House.