Vibha sharma
Tribune news service
New Delhi, December 7
Before the Bharat Bandh on Tuesday, the BJP clashed with opposition parties on Monday, criticizing the parties for their “double standards” on reforms in the agricultural sector, even as they themselves advocated during their regimes.
Justice Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, allaying farmers’ fears about their lands and the MSP, said that although farmers themselves told politicians to stay away from their turmoil, political parties were “desperately trying to get on on the train of political existence “.
“What the Narendra Modi government is doing, the UPA governments have been doing in the states for a long time. For their political survival, they join in any upheaval. Although farmers have said that political parties are not welcome, they have joined in and oppose Narendra Modi’s government for the good of the opposition, forgetting their own works in the past, “he said.
Before the Bharat Bandh, various opposition parties, including Congress, the Samajwadi Party, TMC, NCP, RJD, and the AAP, are mounting attacks, leading to a massive political breakdown on the issue. Sources say the top central ministers are meeting about the ongoing turmoil and politics. However, Prasad declined to comment on the farmers’ dialogue with ministers and the ongoing deliberations on the issue within the government. “These are topics of discussion. I am here only to expose the double standards, the duplication and the hypocrisy of the Opposition which should understand the state of mind of the nation. From the national level to the civic elections, ”he said.
By the way, some peasant leaders said that there is nothing wrong with politicians lending support.
“It is not politics when something bad happens, it is the Opposition’s job to provide support,” said BKU leader Rakesh Tikait.
Meanwhile, citing documents and statements from the past, Prasad said the 2019 congressional manifesto promised to “repeal the APMC Act and make agricultural trade free of all restrictions.”
Prasad also claimed that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi told the party’s CMs in 2013 (when the UPA was in power in the Center) that farmers should be able to sell directly to private actors.
“PNC leader Sharad Pawar, who is also opposed to the three laws, as the Minister of Agriculture in 2010 wrote to the CM defending the requirement of a large investment in market infrastructure, etc. Pawar said in an interview in 2005 that the APMC Act is being abolished and will only take another six months at most to evaluate. He said that until the APMC Law exists there will be no support from the Center. If this is not selfish politics and duplicity to save political existence, what is? ”Prasad questioned.
Prasad also criticized Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav, reminding him of his father Mulayam Singh’s declaration as a member of the Standing Committee. “He said that it is important that farmers are saved from mandi ‘changul’ (freehold). The Akali Dal said the same. During the congressional regime, contract farming was implemented in several states governed by Congress, including Haryana, Assam, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh. “
He also criticized Yogendra Yadav, reminding him of his tweet in 2017 that the Modi government has washed its hands of the ‘mandi’ reforms. Delhi CM Arvind Kejrwial is implementing the three Central Acts, he added.
Stating that “farmers’ land cannot be leased, sold or mortgaged,” Prasad said that it is also a matter of small and medium farmers whose share is increasing by more than 1,000 MNA in the country. Up to 1.68 million rupees from farmers are registered with them, he said, adding that 64 percent of this season’s MSP of rice was harvested by Punjab.
Reminding Punjab CM Amarinder Singh of the Pepsico plant he opened in March 2019, he accused him of adopting “disgraceful double standards to confuse farmers with incorrect facts” about the companies.
