Protesting farmers’ unions on Friday claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s address seemed like an attempt to “divide and mislead” farmers, saying that they want a legal guarantee that minimum support price (MSP) will continue to be in place.

Farmer leader Abhimanyu Kohar, while reacting to Modi’s allegations that the opposition was misusing the protest to push their agenda, said that they do not allow any political parties to use their stage. He further accused the government of diverting the issue.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday squarely blamed those with political agenda for the deadlock in the Centre's talks with protesting farmers and asserted that his government is willing to hold dialogues with all, including those staunchly opposed to it, as long as talks are based on farm issues, facts and logic.

“The prime minister's claim that we are being misguided by other political parties is false. It has been a month since we have been protesting at Delhi borders, and we have not offered our platform to any politician,” Kohar said.

“In fact, we have banned them from using our stage. Our protest is not political,” he added.

“In public speeches, the prime minister said the MSP will remain. Then why is he afraid of giving a legal guarantee for it? Why cannot the government give it in writing,” senior leader of the Sankyut Kisan Morcha Shiv Kumar Kakka told PTI.

He added, “PM Modi made an attempt to divide and mislead the farmers during his address today...in election rallies, he says his government has fixed MSP as per the recommendations of the M S Swaminathan Committee. But in court, they say it was not possible to do so.”

All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee secretary Avik Saha asked why the Centre was not giving a legal guarantee on MSP.

Saha said the prime minister on Friday only addressed farmers from six states and wondered why he did not address issues of protesting peasants.

Kohar, a member of Sankyut Kisan Morcha, said during his speech, “PM Modi claimed that the three farm laws will benefit farmers, but he did not tell how the new laws will be beneficial for the peasants.”

“You cannot go away by saying that it is good law, you will have to prove how it is good for farmers. There should be arguments based on facts,” he said.

Avtar Singh Mehma, state press secretary, Krantikari Kisan Union (Punjab), alleged that the government's claim that some farmers are in support of the three laws is ‘false’.

“We had targeted political parties like the Congress, the Shiromani Akali Dal and the AAP before we came to Delhi. So how can we be misguided by these political parties,” Mehma asked.