Farmers Movement Archive

Oppn slams govt over agri laws in RS, Scindia mounts defence

NEW DELHI: The opposition in Rajya Sabha on Thursday continued its attack on the Centre over the farmers' protest on Delhi borders against the recently enacted three farm laws, while former Congress leader-turned-BJP star Jyotiraditya Scindia was the leading speaker from treasury benches defending the new legislations. Trinamool Congress leader Derek O'Brien said the government should "first take care of Delhi and then think of Bengal" in a reference to BJP's campaign against the Mamata Banerjee government, while Congress leader Deepender Singh Hooda said the Centre has no right to question the patriotism of farmers whose sons protect the borders. Scindia slammed "double standards" of the opposition, quoting from the Congress' 2019 manifesto and said: "Congress will repeal, I repeat, will repeal the Agricultural Produce Market Committees Act and make trade in agricultural produce including exports and inter-state trade free, I repeat, free from all restrictions." He further said that in 2010-11, then agriculture minister Sharad Pawar had written to all chief ministers and said that private sector participation was necessary in agriculture and amendments were needed in the APMC Act. "Yeh juban badalne ki aadat badalni hogi. Chit bhi mera pat bhi mera kab tak chalega (Opposition parties will have to change the habit of going back on their words. Heads I win, tails you lose. How long this will go on?)," he said. Lok Sabha failed to transact any substantive business for the third day with an unrelenting and united opposition stuck to its demand for a discussion on the farmers' issue. Congress and like-minded parties like DMK, Left, NCP as also TMC raised slogans, with members trooping into the well of the House, ignoring the pleas of Speaker Om Birla for order. The government managed to introduce "the arbitration and conciliation amendment bill" before the final adjournment. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi held a meeting with like-minded parties to elicit their views on the future course of action. The meeting saw the participants, including Shiv Sena, assert that the opposition should not relent till the government agrees to have a separate debate on the farmers issue. The unity in the anti-BJP axis appears stronger this time as sources said that while SP and BSP did not attend the meeting called by Rahul Gandhi, they conveyed that they will stand with the opposition. In the RS, DMK's N R Elango alleged the government was violating the federal structure with the farm laws as the states have the exclusive right to enact laws relating to agriculture. Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MP Sanjay Singh also slammed the government while urging it to repeal the three laws. TMC's O'Brien alleged the government had failed to uphold the sanctity of Parliament. Digvijay Singh slammed the slapping of sedition cases against journalists and civil rights activists. Former PM H D Deve Gowda said the government and farmers should resolve the concerns through dialogue.

The Times of India

2021-02-05

India