Bhopal, March 8 (IANS). Amidst the ongoing speculation about his political future, Digvijay Singh has made it clear that he will not leave politics and will continue to work for the Indian National Congress in the future.
During the press conference in Bhopal on Sunday, Digvijay Singh said that he himself had requested the top leadership of the Indian National Congress not to make him a candidate for Rajya Sabha for the third time.
Digvijay Singh, a two-time Rajya Sabha MP, clarified that this decision should not be seen as his retirement from active politics. He said that he is completely dedicated to Congress and will continue to work for the party in Madhya Pradesh like before.
He raised issues related to farmers while criticizing the state and central government. In particular, he raised questions on the government regarding the Basmati rice of the state not getting GI tag.
Digvijay Singh said that not contesting the Rajya Sabha elections does not mean that he will stay away from party activities or public service. He said that he will remain active in the state as always and will continue to fight for the people and the party till his last breath.
He said that about 27 lakh metric tonnes of Basmati rice is produced every year in Madhya Pradesh, which benefits about one lakh farmers.
He said that this Basmati, which once fetched three times the price of normal rice in the international market, has now lagged behind in the competition because it has not received the GI tag of the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority.
Giving the example of Pakistan, the former Chief Minister said that the number of districts with GI tag for Basmati has been increased from 3 to 48, due to which the farmers there are getting huge benefits in the global market.
He demanded that the government should take immediate steps to protect the interests of the farmers of Madhya Pradesh and restore premium status to the state’s Basmati rice in the international market.
–IANS
amt/vc
