Farmers Movement Archive

Opposition parties to meet President

Scaling up their protest a day after extending support to the Bharat bandh called by the farmers’ organisations, Opposition parties on Monday said they would meet President Ram Nath Kovind and urge him to direct the government to repeal the three farm laws. Leaders of 11 parties will be meeting Mr. Kovind on Wednesday. Responding to the Opposition statement, Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said the UPA government had done exactly what the Modi government is doing today for reforming the existing agricultural laws. ‘BJP propaganda’ CPI (M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury dismissed Mr. Prasad’s comments as routine “BJP propaganda”. “What are they trying to prove by circulating then Agricultural Minister Sharad Pawar’s letter to the then Delhi Chief Minister? Mr. Pawar was only following the constitutional norm of consultations, which the BJP violates with impunity,” he said. The Congress, Samajwadi Party, Rashtriya Janata Dal, Aam Aadmi Party, DMK, CPI (M) and the CPI, among others have extended support to the farmers’ agitation. While the Trinamool Congress did not sign the joint statement, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamta Banerjee has reached out to the farmers. On Friday, Trinamool Rajya Sabha leader Derek O’Brien visited the Singhu border and met the protesting farmers. Bahujan Samaj Party supremo Mayawati, who had not spoken on the agitation so far, also announced her support on Monday morning. Five legislators of the BJP’s ally in Haryana, the Jannayak Janta Party (JJP), have also come out in support of the agitation, seeking early resolution of the stand-off and demanding that the three farm laws be withdrawn.

The Hindu

2020-12-08

New Delhi