Cong may move motion against BJP govt in LS

New Delhi: The Congress Party on Monday said that it might move a privilege motion against the BJP-led Central government in the Lok Sabha over purported changes made in the reply to a written question on doubling of farmers’ income.

The party circulated screen shots of a written question of December 18 in which two members had asked whether the government had any plans to roll out a programme for doubling farmers’ income through the ministry of food processing. To this, minister of state in the food processing Ministry Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti had replied: “No Madam Speaker.” The minister, however, goes on to explain her ministry’s programme Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sampada Yojana (Scheme for Agro-Marine Processing and Development of Agro-Processing Clusters) under which efforts were being made to reduce wastage of produce.

However, the Congress Party claimed that the very next day, on December 19 the portion “No Madam Speaker” was deleted and the reply was uploaded again. The party released screen shots of both the replies. Congress Spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi said: “The Government might have had a rethink after they remembered the Prime Minister’s promise of doubling farm incomes by 2022”. Sources said that the party might move a privilege in the LS on this issue. Mr Modi’s promise of doubling farm incomes has been the target of Opposition parties. Former PM Manmohan Singh has even said that the BJP-led government’s Budget promise to double farmers’ income by 2022 was not a feasible one.