New Delhi: Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on Monday accused the Opposition parties led by Congress of “double standards” while claiming that they were opposing farm reforms just because it was brought by the present BJP government.
Prasad, while addressing a Press conference at the party headquarters in Delhi, presented documents and media reports of the UPA times, to prove that the Congress and other Opposition parties—who were protesting against the farm bills that was recently passed by the Modi government—had tried to bring in the same reforms when they were in power.
The farmers, mostly from Punjab and Haryana, backed by Opposition parties, have called for a “Bharat Bandh” on Tuesday.
“The Congress, in their 2019 manifesto, had promised to repeal the Agricultural Produce Marketing Committee (APMC) Act and make trade of agricultural produce including export free from all restrictions. In 2013, Rahul Gandhi had called a meeting of all Congress chief ministers and said Congress-ruled states should give farmers the right to sell directly,” Prasad said.
Prasad presented official communications to show that the previous UPA government had called a CM meeting in 2013 and directed their CMs to allow farmers to sell their products directly without involving the APMC in Congress ruled states. “Rahul Gandhi had issued these directions. Congress ruled states were asked to delist fruits and vegetables from APMC Act by January 2015”, he said.
According to Prasad, on 11 August 2010, former Union minister and NCP supremo Sharad Pawar, who is also opposing the farm law now, in a letter to then Delhi CM Sheila Dikshit had written, “As you are aware, the agriculture sector needs well-functioning markets to drive growth, employment, and economic prosperity. This requires huge investment in market infrastructure and for this private sector participation is essential for which an appropriate regulatory and policy environment needs to be in place.”
Pawar, in a media interview which he gave when he was the agriculture minister, had stated that the APMC act will be abolished within six months maximum, Prasad claimed while quoting Pawar’s words where he had said, “Unless you are ready to amend the market act and allow the private sector players to enter in the area there will not be any financial support from government of India to the state.”
Prasad further presented official documents that showed that the Planning Commission under the UPA government had given a report of the working group on agricultural marketing infrastructure in which it had stated that the central government may enact inter-state agriculture produce trade and commerce regulation act.
He stated that there was no law under the new act which allows the farmer’s land to be bought by the corporate groups, as the opposition parties were saying. “The lands will not be sold, mortgaged or leased under the new laws”, Prasad said while quoting section 8 of the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020
Prasad also charged Yogendra Yadav, who has emerged as the face of protest, of practicing double standards while presenting an article written by Yadav that accused the Modi government of “washing” its hands of APMC Act, citing state subject” and not taking steps to reform it.
Punjab Congress president Sunil Jakhar, on the other hand, blamed the Centre for the ongoing farmers’ agitation, saying the NDA government was responsible for the protests as it had not held discussions with the farmers before enacting the new laws and the “The only solution is to call a session of Parliament and repeal the laws,” Jakhar said.
Meanwhile, Opposition parties except for Trinamool Congress (TMC) have lent their support to the farmers’ ‘’Bharat Bandh’’ call.Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera said that his party will hold demonstrations in all states on Tuesday. “Congress has supported the voice of farmers and will support Bharat Bandh on December 8 in every district and state. All parties and even NDA allies are concerned. Our district and state units will hold demonstrations,” Khera said.
DMK president M.K. Stalin also extended support to the Bharat Bandh. “The Opposition has already said that we will support the bandh and participate in it,” he said.
CPI general secretary D. Raja said that the Central government, instead of being adamant, should repeal the new farm laws. “The government should not remain adamant and should agree to repeal anti-farmer, anti-national agrarian laws. After several rounds of talks, the government is not conceding. Farmers have given a call for Bharat Bandh. Our party has given support and extended solidarity with protesting farmers,” he said.
BSP spokesperson Sudhindra Bhadoria said that his party is in support of farmers and their call for Bharat Bandh. “After these bills came, farmers are protesting. But the government is not listening to them. The government should leave this attitude and agree to farmers’ demands. BSP chief Mayawati has supported Bharat Bandh. BSP is in support of farmers,” he said.
Telangana Rashtra Samithi MLC K. Kavitha also announced her party’s support for the Bharat Bandh.
However, Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Saugata Roy said that his party stands with protesting farmers, but will not support the Bharat Bandh in West Bengal. “TMC stands with agitating farmers, but we will not support Bharat bandh in West Bengal. It (bandh) goes against our principles,” he said.
Other Opposition parties, including Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Communist Party of India (Marxist), Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist), Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP), Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), Samajwadi Party (SP), All India Forward Bloc (AIFB), Shiv Sena and National Congress Party (NCP), have also extended their support for the ‘Bharat Bandh’ call. The leaders of the Opposition parties issued a joint statement while extending solidarity with farmers’ call for a Bharat Bandh on 8 December demanding the withdrawal of “retrograde Agri-laws”.
Sukhbir Singh Badal-led Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), which left the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) to protest against farm laws, has also announced to lend its support to Bharat Bandh.
The Rashtriya Loktantrik Party (RLP), an ally of the BJP in Rajasthan, has also extended its support to the call for ‘Bharat Bandh by farmers’. Demanding that PM Narendra Modi should withdraw the farm laws, party chief Hanuman Beniwal on Sunday announced that the party will decide on whether or not to stay in the NDA after 8 December.
Hundreds of farmers have been protesting on different borders of the national capital since November 26 against the three newly enacted farm laws—Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020, and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020.
Farmers’ leaders have held several rounds of talks with the government but all of them remained inconclusive so far. After the fifth round of talks, Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar has called another meeting on 9 December.
WITH INPUTS FROM AGENCIES