Khaira Accuses Congress Colleague Rana Gurjeet of Promoting BJP’s Private Crop Marketing Model
Chandigarh: Bholath Congress MLA Sukhpal Khaira has accused his party colleague and Kapurthala MLA Rana Gurjeet of endorsing a BJP-style model to privatize crop marketing.
During a function in Muktsar on Monday, Rana announced that he would purchase maize from farmers at the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for the next two years. His statement, however, drew sharp criticism from Khaira, who took to social media platform X to express his disapproval. Khaira alleged that Rana was promoting private maize procurement primarily for the benefit of his ethanol plants.
Khaira’s remarks come shortly after Congress General Secretary Incharge of Punjab, Bhupesh Baghel, advised party leaders to address internal disputes within party forums. Khaira and Rana have had a history of political disagreements, and this latest episode has further highlighted their differences.
Khaira accused Rana of pushing the BJP government’s agenda of private crop marketing, which was one of the key provisions in the controversial farm laws that sparked massive protests in 2021. He also questioned the timing of Rana’s maize procurement announcement, especially as Congress gears up for the 2027 elections.
Additionally, Khaira suggested that Rana’s actions could be an attempt to create discord within the party, particularly following recent Income Tax raids on his business establishments and a Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) order penalizing him ₹63 crore. Rana’s companies have also faced allegations of defrauding shareholders of ₹600 crore in the stock market.
Further criticizing Rana’s credibility, Khaira pointed out that while he was promising MSP on maize, his recently acquired Phagwara Sugar Mill has yet to clear ₹27.74 crore in outstanding sugarcane payments to farmers from 2021-22, along with pending arrears for beetroot crops.
“As a Congress office bearer, he should have addressed this issue within the party platform,” Khaira asserted.
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