By TIOL News Service

NEW DELHI, FEB 08, 2021: GIVING his reply to the Motion of Thanks on President Mr Ram Nath Kovind's address, Prime Minister Mr Narendra Modi invited the protesting farmers for talks and assured them that the Minimum Support Price (MSP) scheme will continue.

The PM said everyone in Parliament talked about the farmers' protest but not of the reason behind it.

"Challenges are there as there is nothing without challenges in the world. But the point is whether we want to be part of the challenge or its solution," he added.

Listing initiatives in the agriculture sector, the Prime Minister informed that since 2014 the government has aimed at empowering small farmers with schemes such as the crop insurance scheme, the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi, improving rural road connectivity, Kisan Rail or Kisan Udaan.

"The need of the hour is to improve the lives of small-scale farmers," said Mr Modi, adding that his government has kept them at the centre of all policies and schemes.

On MSP, he reiterated, "MSP tha, MSP hai aur MSP rahega (Minimum Support Price will remain). No one should spread misinformation."

He cautioned against those trying to cause unrest and invited all parties to move forward for the welfare of the farmers and rise above political calculations.

"A lot of discussions took place on farmers' protest. But most of it was concentrated on the protest and not the solution," he said.

Terming FDI as "Foreign Destructive Technology," he said Sikhs are being misled by international supporters.

"Some people are trying to create unrest in India. We should not forget what happened with Punjab in 1984. What happened in Jammu and Kashmir, the Northeast - hurt India. Sikhs are being misled. India is proud of every Sikh. What have they not done for this country? Attempts to mislead them will never benefit the nation," said Mr Modi.

He asked the farmers to end their protest and sit together for talks.

Praising India's "effective handling" of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Prime Minister said there had been apprehensions over the situation initially.

"And it was natural because nobody has thought a challenge like COVID-19 would befall. Countries could not help each other - the situation was like that. But we overcame it," he added.

He told the citizens to take pride in how the pandemic was managed and to celebrate it since India is now making vaccines for the world and in the midst of the largest immunisation campaign.

"What is wrong in taking pride in how India handled Covid-19 situation?... There are so many issues for opposition politics. But why make fun of this pride that India can have in its COVID-19 approach?" the PM said.

He said the pandemic has strengthened the cooperative federal structure of government with the Centre and States working in tandem.

"A lot has been said about India's democracy in this House. I do not agree to all these… Indian democracy is a human institution. India is not merely the world's largest democracy - India is the 'Mother of Democracy' and this is our ethos," said the Prime Minister.