TNI Bureau: While the UPA government is facing fire from the Opposition and public for rising prices, Union steel minister Beni Prasad Verma made a bizarre comment saying the inflation is good for farmers.
Verma said that he was happy over rising prices of food items and essential goods as it will benefit the farmers. Even he said that the UPA government favours it.
“Dal, atta, rice and vegetables have become expensive. The more the prices, the better it is for farmers. I am happy with this inflation,” the Union steel minister told reporters.
He said media is making a hue and cry of increasing prices, but it is good for the farmers. “Media kehti hai ki khane ki thali mehngi ho gayi hai…Isse fayada kisano ka hai, aur sarkar kisano ke fayda ki pachdhar hai (Media says that cost of food plate has increased but it is benefiting farmers…and the government is in favour of farmers profit),” he said.
Reacting to the remarks, BJP hit at the Congress. It said that the government has closed its eyes to the common men.
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“The Congress leaders are not affected by inflation at all. They are not seeing the plight of the people as a result of rising prices. It clearly shows their mentality,” BJP leader Shahnawaz Hussain said.
He said that the farmers are the worst hit due to the inflation, but the government sees nothing in it. Instead of taking measures to control the inflation, the Congress is praising the price rises.
Today, the farmers are hit by high cost of fertilisers and power. “Then how are they going to benefit by rising prices,” he said.
However, Union law minister Salman Khurshid backed Verma’s remarks saying it should be viewed in the right context. He said that the steps taken by the government including cut in interest rates have somehow reduced the inflation. “If the farmer gets a good price for his yield, then it is inevitable that market prices will also go up,” he said.
Reacting sharply to Verma’s remarks, BJP leader Lakshmi Kant Bajpai said, “It unfortunate that a Union minister is making such remarks. How can he be ignorant about the problems being faced by the common man due to price rise”, he said asking the Congress to clarify its stand on it.
Even SP spokesman Rajendra Chowdhury criticised Verma’s remarks. He said that it was pathetic that a minister was making such a statement, which showed that he had no clue about the problems that common men are facing today due to inflation.