Farm bills will help farmers get a better price for their produce, the government says. (Proceedings)
New Delhi:
The agricultural bills are “historic” and will bring a change in the lives of farmers, said Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar, introducing the agriculture-related bills in Rajya Sabha today. Three agriculture-related bills were passed in Lok Sabha amid protests by farmers and opposition strikes. The opposition led by Congress is trying to put the numbers together to bring down the three laws, which it says is “anti-farmer.” The ruling BJP, with the support of his NDA allies and some “friendly” parties, is expected to have the upper hand if the bills are put to a vote. The passage of the bills in the lower house had led to the departure of the sole representative of the former BJP ally, Akali Dal, from the Union Cabinet. The bills have sparked mass protests in agriculture-dependent states where farmers fear losing their livelihoods.
Here are the top 10 points of this great story:
-
Union Minister Narendra Singh Tomar, introducing the agricultural bills, reiterated once again that the bills have nothing to do with the minimum support price (MSP). “I want to assure everyone through the House that these bills have nothing to do with the MSP. The MSP will continue as before. I had said this in the Lok Sabha as well and PM Modi himself has assured that the MSP will not It will be manipulated. “said Mr. Tomar. Farmers are concerned that this will eliminate the MSP.
-
The BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) is expected to have around 105 votes in the Upper House, which has a current absolute strength of 243. There are two vacant seats and the majority mark is set at 122. The opposition led by Congress should be around 100. Although the YSR Congress has not made a decision yet, both AIADMK and the BJD have decided to extend their support to the government.
-
BJP has issued a three-line whip to all its Rajya Sabha MPs to be present in the House. “The agriculture bills benefit farmers and will also be approved by Rajya Sabha,” said a Rajya Sabha MP from the BJP. The BJP alone has 86 members or votes. With his NDA allies, he can count on 105. However, he cannot count on three MPs from Akali, who have been given a three-line whip to vote against the bills, signaling a change. of meaning for a party that initially supported the laws. . Despite this, the BJP believes it is in a unique position to win any vote that may be called on farm bills.
-
The Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS), which has previously supported the government on specific issues, has asked its seven members to vote against the bills. TRS chief K Chandrasekhar Rao has called these laws “sugar-coated pills” that will cause much injustice to the country’s agricultural sector.
-
Ten MPs have tested positive for coronavirus and will not be in Rajya Sabha today. Another 15 MPs, including P Chidambaram from Congress, who on Saturday morning criticized Prime Minister Modi for the bills, will not attend for health reasons. This should help the BJP as it reduces the majority mark. BJD with nine members and AIADMK based in Tamil Nadu with nine MPs have decided to support the agricultural bills.
-
The congressional-led opposition, on the other hand, which includes 13 MPs from Trinamool Congress and seven from DMK, will be on the defensive in today’s showdown. The Congress itself has 40 seats and may count on a few others, such as the BSP (four seats), the Samajwadi Party (eight seats) and the ruling AAP Delhi (three seats).
-
The BJP has also approached the Shiv Sena with whom the Congress has formed a tripartite government in Maharashtra. The Maharashtra-based party has asked the government for further clarification. The BJP, the sources added, has also contacted the NCP, the third member of that alliance, which has four seats.
-
The government has said the bills will help small and marginal farmers by allowing them to sell their products at competitive prices anywhere in India. On Friday, Prime Minister Modi criticized an opposition “disinformation” campaign about the MSP.
-
Since the Modi government took office for the second time in 2019, opposition parties have been unable to paralyze any of their major bills due to a rise in the ranks of treasury banks and a corresponding drop in the ranks of the opposition.
-
The monsoon session of parliament is expected to be interrupted due to fears over the coronavirus pandemic. The Lok Sabha is likely to end on Wednesday and the Rajya Sabha will follow suit. So far, 25 MPs (10 from Rajya Sabha) have tested positive for the virus, raising fears that it could spread further.
With inputs from agencies
.
