The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) on Saturday said the unexpected increase in the prices of diesel, petrol and fertilisers had exposed the “anti-farmer attitude” of the BJP-led Centre.

In a statement, the umbrella body of farm unions said the prices of petrol and diesel were increasing every day after the recent Assembly polls and the total hike had amounted to more than Rs 10 a litre, which was a cause for concern.

“A standing committee of Parliament has exposed the Centre’s statement of doubling the income of farmers in 2022, revealing that instead of increasing the income of farmers, in four states, the income has decreased by 30 per cent,” the SKM said.

It said the committee report had also exposed that in the last three years, the Ministry of Agriculture has failed to spend the approved budget and returned Rs 67,929 crore to the Centre.

"The report has also accepted that the scheme to give pension to farmers in the name of 'Kisan Maandhan Yojana' has completely failed. With all this evidence, the anti-farmer attitude of the (Narendra) Modi government has become clear again. The Samyukta Kisan Morcha warns the government that the farmer of the country will not tolerate the conspiracy against them," the statement read.

The farmers' body also expressed concerns over the hike in the prices of DAP and NPKS fertilisers. It pointed out that on May 18 last year, IFFCO had increased the price of a 50-kg DAP fertiliser sack by 55.3 per cent.

"Recently, the Union government has again raised the prices of fertilisers, cheating the farmers. Even after the subsidy, the price of DAP, which is available at Rs 1,200 per sack, has been increased by Rs 150, due to which now, the farmer will get this sack for Rs 1,350," the statement read.