Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut opposed the agricultural bills that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) seeks to pass in Rajya Sabha on Sunday, demanding that a special session be convened to discuss them.
The Agricultural Products Trade and Trade (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill 2020, the Farmers Agricultural Price and Services Guarantee Agreement (Empowerment and Protection) 2020, and the Commodity Bill (Amendment) 2020 have performed at the Rajya Sabha after passing at the Lok Sabha last week.
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Raut asked the government if it could assure the nation that no farmer will commit suicide and that farmers’ income will increase after the bills are passed. “Can the government assure the country that after these farm reform bills are passed, farmers’ incomes will double and no farmer will commit suicide? A special session should be convened to discuss these bills, ”said Raut.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had assured the nation on Friday that after these bills are passed into law, farmers will have more opportunities to sell their products without having to worry about middlemen and that this will result in higher profits.
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On September 17, the Prime Minister also told farmers that the Minimum Livelihood Price (MSP) system would not change. “A lot of power is used to confuse farmers. I assure my farmer brothers and sisters that the MSP and public procurement system will be maintained. These bills are really going to empower farmers by giving them many more options. #JaiKisan, ”he tweeted.
“PM has said that the government is not ending the MSP system and it is just a rumor. So a union minister resigned based on a rumor? Raut said in his speech against the bills in Rajya Sabha.
He was referring to Harsimrat Kaur Badal, who had resigned as Union minister for food processing industries earlier this week in protest against the bills. His party, the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), is a longtime ally of the BJP.
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