Farmers Movement Archive

Gehlot submits memo, Pilot hits out at Centre over agri laws

Jaipur: Chief minister Ashok Gehlot, along with PCC president Govind Singh Dotasra, submitted a memorandum addressed to President Ram Nath Kovind seeking withdrawal of the new agriculture-related laws, to Governor Kalraj Mishra on Monday.Former deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot, on the other hand, addressed a press conference to hit out at the Centre by accusing it of betraying the farmers by ‘forcefully’ getting the new farm laws passed by the Parliament.“These laws will destroy the farmers and the country’s already weakened economy,” Pilot said. “It is strange that the farmers never asked for such laws, but still the Centre got these passed without having majority. You (NDA government) could not convince the Cabinet minister from your ally Shiromani Akali Dal and still expect the farmers to accept these laws,” he added.On being asked if the three laws signed by the President would be implemented in Rajasthan, Pilot said, “When we are opposing these, we cannot be party to implementing the same.”The former deputy CM said that ending the existing mandi system would lead to a few industrialists monopolising the sector. “In May this year, the Centre said it would connect the mandis digitally. How will the marginal farmers travel to faraway places to sell their crop,” Pilot asked.“These laws are being opposed all over the country. Congress decided to stand alongside the farmers and take the fight further. The central government has betrayed the farmers at a challenging time,” he said.A day earlier, President Kovind gave assent to the three contentious bills namely, The Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020, The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill, 2020 and The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill, 2020.

The Times of India

2020-09-29

Jaipur