Farmers Movement Archive

Punjab Congress MPs to move bill in Lok Sabha against farm laws

CHANDIGARH: Punjab Congress MPs on Tuesday announced their decision to move a private members bill in the Lok Sabha in order to pressurise the Centre to repeal the contentious farm laws. The bill will be moved jointly and individually against the farm laws, the Congress MPs said even as they appealed to the members of other parties to “listen to their conscience” and join them in moving similar bills. “We have intimated the Lok Sabha secretariat. The eight Congress MPs will also meet the Speaker of Lok Sabha to give the bill priority in introduction and discussion in view of the sensitivity of the matter. We have been forced to move a Repealing and Amending Act, 2021, before the Lok Sabha, on the lines of the bills passed by the Punjab assembly against the farm laws,” said Anandpur Sahib MP Manish Tewari. “Talks with farmers’ groups have not yielded any results. The BJP, including the Prime Minister, has maintained that the bills are in favour of farmers. The farmers, however, do not agree. But we believe that the BJP government’s policies and intent are doubtful. Despite the minimum support price, a common farmer earns around Rs 15,000 per month,” he added. Patiala MP Preneet Kaur said, “We are bringing this bill to ensure that our Constitution is not trampled upon and also to extend our support to the protesting farmers who have been forced to sit on roads... We have tried everything to support our farmers and to raise their concerns. Our MPs and MLAs have even been sitting on dharna for over an month, but this government has turned a blind eye towards the elected members, as it had done with farmers.” The MPs also demanded an ex gratia of Rs 50 lakh for the kin of farmers who lost their lives during the course of the agitation. “Lakhs of farmers and their family members are participating in the agitation against the farm laws. Over 100 farmers have died during the protests, 120 are behind the bars and 200-odd farmers are missing. Despite this, the Centre has responded to the concerns of the farmers with a mix of arrogance and ignorance,” Tewari added. Congress leader Ranveet Bittu, who was also present along with other Punjab MPs J S Gill, Amar Singh, Mohd Sadique and Santokh Choudhry, said 203 MPs in the Lok Sabha and 64 in the Rajya Sabha have listed agriculture as their profession. “These MPs should join hands with us on this issue,” he said.

The Times of India

2021-02-10

Chandigarh