Lucknow, February 12 Uttar Pradesh Agriculture Minister Surya Pratap Shahi on Thursday launched a scathing attack on the Samajwadi Party (SP), alleging that during its tenure, farmers in Noida and Ghaziabad were "fired upon for the benefit of Anil Ambani."
The minister was responding to a question raised by SP legislator Anil Pradhan during Question Hour on the fourth day of the budget session, regarding land acquisition and rising agricultural costs.
Targeting the opposition party, Shahi said the SP government had ordered the firing on farmers in Noida and Ghaziabad to protect industrial interests.
"The farmers of Uttar Pradesh will never forget how your government ordered the firing for the benefit of Anil Ambani," he said.
He also referred to an alleged firing incident linked to a Durg Cement project, stating that it occurred during the SP regime. "Such incidents have never happened under the Yogi Adityanath-led government," Shahi asserted.
On land acquisition, the minister said the current government is holding adequate dialogue with farmers and providing compensation at market rates.
Responding to Pradhan's written query on whether rising prices of agricultural equipment, fertilizers, and diesel were increasing the cost of cultivation, Shahi denied the claim. He said subsidies are available on agricultural equipment and fertilizers, and diesel prices in Uttar Pradesh are lower than in most states.
He said the department is implementing schemes for the promotion of agricultural mechanization and in-situ management of crop residue to provide farm machinery to cultivators at subsidized rates.