Business2 min
PM Modi in Banaskantha: Fertiliser Prices, Gas Fears and a Vow to Serve
At a farmers' gathering in Gujarat, the Prime Minister said the government is absorbing a huge share of global fertiliser costs, and accused critics of stoking panic over supplies.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi told farmers in Gujarat's Banaskantha district on Friday that he would keep serving the people "till the last moment of life". He also said the government is shielding Indian growers from a sharp global rise in fertiliser prices caused by the West Asia conflict.
Modi was on the first day of a two-day Gujarat visit. He rode in an open jeep with Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and his deputy Harsh Sanghavi, from the helipad to the Banas Dairy plant in Bhildi. Crowds lined the road, and he waved back as people shouted his name. He then inaugurated the Bharat Bovine Breeding and Research Centre in the town.
The big takeaway for farmers was the price gap. Modi said a bag of urea costs as much as Rs 3,000 globally, yet Indian farmers get it for under Rs 300. He said diammonium phosphate (DAP) has crossed Rs 5,000 a bag worldwide, while Indian cultivators pay Rs 1,350. In his telling, the government is carrying the difference so the war's costs don't reach the field.
He then turned to politics. Without naming anyone, Modi accused the Opposition of enjoying the country's difficulties. He alleged they had spread fear that fertilisers would run out, and that they created artificial queues. He also claimed they told women cooking gas would vanish, all to create chaos and defame him. These are his allegations; the source report carries no response from opposition parties.
The remarks follow a political row over Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge's "Modi ka baap bhi jayega" comment. Modi's vow to serve till his last breath came days after that remark.
Why it matters for ordinary households: the Gulf is central to India's energy security and is a key source of fertiliser imports. Worries about gas and fertiliser supply hit kitchens and farms directly. Modi said the country was united in handling the crisis, which began at the end of February, and that farmers have not faced a shortage.
Later, in Ekta Nagar in Narmada district, he inaugurated 'Bharat Parv 2026', an exhibition of traditional crafts and regional cuisines from across India. He also watched a large-scale stage adaptation of Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay's novel 'Anandamath'.
Read the original report: PM Modi pledges to serve people till his last breath.
