Congress MLAs Protest Fertiliser Shortages, Anti-Farmer Policies

Congress MLAs, led by Leader of Opposition Umang Singhar, staged a protest at the Gandhi statue in Aalirajpur, Madhya Pradesh, on Monday. The protest was held ahead of the monsoon session of the Madhya Pradesh Assembly and was focused on issues affecting farmers.

The MLAs raised slogans against fertiliser shortages, the lack of remunerative crop prices, and what they described as the state government's anti-farmer policies. Jobat MLA Sena Mahesh Patel criticised the BJP government, alleging that it had made false promises to farmers while forcing them to wait in long queues for fertiliser e-tokens and denying them fair prices for their produce.

Patel also raised the issue of farmers affected by the Ken-Betwa project. He claimed that despite protests in which farmers stood in water and lay on biers, the government had failed to respond, calling it a sign of insensitivity. The Congress MLAs warned that they would intensify the protest from the Assembly to the streets if the government failed to address farmers' issues.

The protest was attended by several senior party leaders and MLAs. The Congress leaders said that the previous Congress government, led by Kamal Nath, had waived farm loans for lakhs of farmers. They claimed that the Congress had consistently worked for farmers' welfare, unlike the present government.

In a related development, the government's decision to terminate the services of 5,212 PESA mobilisers was also objected to by the Congress MLAs. The mobilisers were appointed under the Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan (RGSA) scheme, which expired on March 31, 2026. Patel said that the appointment orders did not mention March 31, 2026, as the end date and that the mobilisers had spent four years strengthening Gram Sabhas under the Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act (PESA).

The Panchayat and Rural Development Department said that the positions were temporary and part-time, ruling out re-employment. However, Patel cited an April 6 letter from the Union Ministry urging the state to retain the manpower. She demanded that the government reconsider its decision and provide alternative employment to the affected youth.

In a separate development, the Bank of India disbursed ₹52 crore in farm loans at a Kisan Diwas celebration in Indore. The event was seen as an effort to promote agricultural development in the state.

The protest by Congress MLAs highlights the ongoing issues faced by farmers in Madhya Pradesh. The state government has been facing criticism for its handling of fertiliser shortages and crop prices. The Congress MLAs' warning to intensify the protest from the Assembly to the streets indicates that the issue is likely to be a major point of contention in the upcoming monsoon session.

The monsoon session of the Madhya Pradesh Assembly is expected to be stormy, with the opposition Congress party planning to raise several issues, including farmers' welfare and the government's handling of the economy. The session is likely to see heated debates and protests, with the Congress MLAs determined to hold the government accountable for its actions.

In conclusion, the protest by Congress MLAs in Madhya Pradesh highlights the need for the state government to address the issues faced by farmers. The government's handling of fertiliser shortages, crop prices, and anti-farmer policies has been widely criticised, and the opposition party is determined to hold it accountable. The upcoming monsoon session of the Madhya Pradesh Assembly is likely to be stormy, with the Congress MLAs planning to raise several issues and demand action from the government.