New Delhi: Congress on Monday asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to come clean on Meghalaya Governor Satya Pal Malik's allegation that he was "arrogant" on the farmers' issue and demanded an unconditional apology if it was true.


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Congress general secretary Randeep Surjewala said the prime minister should come forward and tell the truth to the nation, and sack the governor if he is not telling the truth.


The entire nation is shocked by the text of the conversation between BJP-appointed Governor Malik and the prime minister on the farmers' agitation.



The Congress leader said the "anti-farmer" and "insensitive" face of prime minister Modi, his government and the BJP stands exposed.


"If Governor Malik is lying, he should be sacked and an FIR should be registered against him. But if he is not lying, Prime Minister Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah must come forward and apologise to India's toiling farmers and farm labourers. Otherwise, they will never pardon them," the Congress chief spokesperson told reporters.


"We demand that prime minister and home minister apologise unconditionally to farmers and tell them by when will families of farmers who died (during the farm laws protest) will be compensated," he said.


Targeting Modi, he said, "Mr Prime Minister, is this the language of the person holding the highest public office and elected by farmers."


Surjewala said never in the history of the country has a prime minister dared to say like this about India's toiling farmers that "what if 500 farmers have died".



"To dishonour their memory by none less than the prime minister himself is actually most regrettable and condemnable," he said.


"We demand that today please come forward and announce compensation to the next of kin of 700 farmers. The PM should also announce a government job for the next of kin of those farmers who died during the agitation," he said.


Modi should also announce the withdrawal of every single case registered against farmers falsely whether it be in Uttar Pradesh or Haryana, and should tell by when will these "false" cases be withdrawn, Surjewala said.


He said Modi should announce the constitution of a committee to decide on the compulsory MSP architecture.


"It should not only be constituted in the next 24 hours but should also deliver its report within 30 days so that farmers know what is the way forward on the grant of MSP for their produce. This is the least that is expected of the prime minister."


"You can no longer remain quiet, Mr Prime Minister. You can no longer remain mum, otherwise, it will be proven that the prime minister only works for a handful of crony capitalists and is actually arrogant, insensitive and intemperate vis-a-vis the demands of the toiling farmers and farm labourers," Surjewala said.


The Congress leader said those farmers did not die for the BJP or Modi but for protecting the food security of the country and justice could be done to 62 crore farmers and farm labourers. 




Malik claimed in the video that Modi was not ready to accept that farmers who were protesting against three agriculture laws of the Centre last year died due to him.


Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra targeted Modi alleging that he has an "anti-farmer" mindset and "false apologies" or withdrawal of the laws would not matter.


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