Members of the State BJP Krushak Morcha scuffled with police personnel while trying to barge into the premises of the State Secretariat here on Thursday protesting Cooperation Minister Surjya Narayan Patro’s statement challenging the Opposition to prove allegations that paddy is being procured at prices below the minimum support price (MSP) at the mandis across the State.
Shouting slogans and holding placards, hundreds of members of the BJP’s farmer wing stormed the State Secretariat and tried to enter through Gate No. 4 when police personnel deployed near the gate intercepted them.
Later, as a scuffle ensued, police detained several agitators to prevent the protest from flaring up further.
“The paddy should be procured at the MSP of Rs 1,750 per quintal. But millers are charging rates less than MSP leading to losses for farmers. We suspect that the millers are hand in glove with Minister Patro,” alleged a protestor.
Another agitator said Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik should take immediate action against the Minister for his comments.
In reaction, BJP Sate vice president Samir Mohanty said, “As mandis have not opened farmers are going for distress sale. Millers are taking undue advantage of this and collecting paddy from farmers at Rs 1,200-1, 300 per quintal. Today our people had gone with evidence to meet the Minister at the Secretariat.”
Earlier, Patro had stated in a Press conference that the BJP and other Opposition parties are levelling false allegations without any proof that paddy is being sold at prices lower than the MSP in the State.
However, BJD spokesperson Sasmit Patra said the BJP has no moral right to speak on famers’ issues. Before coming to power, they had said they would hike the paddy MSP by one and a half times and also implement the Swaminathan Committee recommendations. They are only shedding crocodile tears for farmers and indulging in melodrama.