Farmers Movement Archive

After Centre decides to scrap farm laws, Sachin Pilot warns BJP of consequences

Congress leader and former deputy chief minister of Rajasthan Sachin Pilot said on Tuesday that the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP's) defeat in the recent bye-elections and a “looming bad performance” in the upcoming assembly elections, led to the Modi government announcing the scrapping of the three farm laws.Speaking to news agency PTI, Pilot said there will be consequences for the BJP in the elections as farmers' distrust of the Centre will not go away with one rollback.After Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced on November 19 that the farm laws will be scrapped, farmer unions have stated that the agitation will continue until their pending demands of a law that guarantees minimum support prices (MSPs) for farm produce, rollback of power bill 2020 and air quality ordinance are met.Also Read| Why govt failed to convince farmers about the new lawsSachin Pilot said on Tuesday that the Centre should not only ensure a legal guarantee for the MSP but also provide a regulation ensuring that procurement takes place. The Congress leader pointed out that such a long agitation by the farming community had not been seen in the history of India."If they had to rollback (the laws) then what was the need to waste lives and livelihoods, so much damage was caused, farmers were called Naxalites, separatists, even terrorists and some of the ministers' kin even mowing down people," Pilot further told PTI.He alleged that no discussion was held with the farmer groups before the farm laws were announced. "There has been a "kind of breakdown of trust" between the government and the farmers which is "damaging" for future dispensations also," Pilot added.PM Modi had said that the constitutional process to repeal the farm laws will be completed during the upcoming winter session of Parliament.On Wednesday, the Union cabinet is likely to discuss whether to approve the removal of the laws.Meanwhile, the Congress and other opposition parties will demand a full-fledged discussion on the consequences of the farm laws during the all-party meeting this Sunday, which will be attended by Prime Minister Modi.(With PTI inputs)

Hindustan Times

23-11-2021

India