MSP not being implemented because of PM Modi's friend Adani: Meghalaya Guv Satya Pal Malik

Meghalaya Governor Satya Pal Malik on Sunday alleged a business-politics nexus between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and industrialist Gautam Adani. He attributed the issue of Minimum Support Price (MSP) not becoming a legal guarantee in the country to the alleged nexus.

The Indian Express quoted Malik as saying, "The MSP is not being implemented because Prime Minister has a friend whose name is Adani, who at the moment has become Asia’s richest person in five years,”

A video of Malik, who has been particularly vocal about the farmers' issue, making this statement has been doing the rounds on social media.

He was reportedly speaking at a programme held at a cow shelter in Haryana's Nuh district.

While referring to the over a year-long farmers' protest at the borders of Delhi, he warned the Center of a 'fiercer' fight by the farmers if their demands on MSP are not met.

"If MSP is not implemented and legal guarantee on MSP is not given, there will be another fight and this time it will be a fierce fight. You cannot defeat the farmer of this country. You cannot scare him… since you cannot send ED or Income-Tax officers, how will you scare the farmer?” quoted The Indian Express.

Citing an anecdote from Guwahati airport, the operations of which have been handed over to the Adani Group under the Centre's airport privatisation programme, Malik accused the government of 'preparing to sell the country' to corporates.

"At Guwahati airport, I met a woman holding a bouquet. When I asked her where she was from, she replied ‘We have come on behalf of Adani’. I asked what does that mean. She said this airport has been handed over to Adani… Adani has been given airports, ports, major schemes… aur ek tarah se desh ko bechne ki taiyari hai [and in a way, the preparation is to sell the country], but we will not let that happen,” Malik was quoted in the daily's report.

In October 2021, the Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport in Guwahati was handed over to the Adani Group for operations, management and development responsibilities.

This instance of Malik being critical of the Centre is not a one-off incident.

On January 3, 2022, speaking at a function, he alleged that PM Modi was arrogant when he met him to discuss the farmers’ protest.

Reiterating his experience on Sunday, he said, “I saw that farmers were sitting on Delhi’s borders…I told the PM that each man among them was the head of 40 villages…700 farmers died. When a dog dies, a condolence message from Delhi is sent. No condolence message was sent for farmers…”

"I told him that it has been a year since they have been sitting, give them something and settle this. He told me that they will go and why was I concerned. He took it very lightly. I told him that you do not know them… Later, he understood and the laws were repealed and he apologised also.”

Read More:- Governor Malik at it again: 'Met PM Modi on farm issues, he was very arrogant'