Centre Ignored MS Swaminathan's Key Recommendation For Farmers: Uddhav Thackeray

Amid farmers' 'Delhi Chalo' protest, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray on Tuesday said the Centre announced Bharat Ratna to agriculture scientist M S Swaminathan, but does not implement his recommendations.

Addressing a rally at Shrirampur in Maharashtra's Ahmednagar district, the former Maharashtra chief minister attacked the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and said the government was lobbing tear gas at farmers who already have tears in their eyes.

The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha are spearheading the 'Delhi Chalo' agitation to put pressure on the Centre for their demands, including a law on minimum support price, for crops and loan waivers.

"The government does not implement the recommendations of the Swaminathan Commission, but gives him Bharat Ratna. Charan Singh (was also given) Bharat Ratna," Thackeray said.

The Swaminathan Commission report talks of Minimum Support Price (MSP), among others.

Last week, the Centre announced Bharat Ratna to M S Swaminathan, known as the father of the green revolution in the country. It also announced Bharat Ratna posthumously to Chaudhary Charan Singh, former prime minister and farmer's leader.

He said farmers are marching toward Delhi for their demands, but they are not allowed to visit the national capital.

Farmers from Punjab faced tear gas shells - some of them dropped by a drone - at two border points as protesters tried to break past barricades set up by the Haryana police to stop them from heading to the national capital.

Police hurled tear gas shells, and the protesters hurled stones, at the Shambhu border near Ambala in Haryana. Tear gas was also used against protesters at the border between the two states in Haryana's Jind district. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)