West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has threatened nationwide upheaval if the Center does not withdraw the three controversial laws enacted in September to allow agricultural companies to freely trade agricultural products without restrictions.
“I am very concerned about the farmers, their lives and their livelihoods. GOI [government of India] must withdraw the anti-farmer bills. If they don’t immediately, we’ll agitate across the state and country. From the beginning, we have strongly opposed these anti-farmer bills, ”Banerjee tweeted Thursday.
The Banerjee Trinamool Congress will hold a meeting on Friday to discuss its future and course of action.
“… We will discuss how the Essential Products Law is impacting ordinary people and resulting in skyrocketing prices. The central government must withdraw this anti-people law, “he said in another tweet.
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Farmers, especially in Punjab and Haryana, have been protesting the three laws, saying they will hurt their income even as the government has argued that they will improve it. They say the laws are a precursor to the withdrawal of government support for agriculture and will replace existing intermediaries with more powerful corporate entities.
Banerjee also sharpened his attack on the Center’s divestment and privatization policy by saying that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is turning national treasures into assets.
“The government of India is selling everything. You cannot sell railways, Air India, coal, BSNL, BHEL, banks, defense, etc. Withdraw ill-conceived divestment and privatization policy. We must not allow the treasures of our nation to become personal assets of the BJP party, ”he said.
BJP leader Jay Prakash Majumdar said that the Communist Party of India (Marxist), or CPI (M), carried out protests against the center for 34 years and Banerjee speaks along the same lines. “Will the leaders of Bengal always oppose the laws of the country and deprive the people of the state of the welfare plans of the Center?”
CPI (M) leader Md Salim said that Banerjee always wakes up late. “The movement has already reached the gates of Delhi. The parties of the left have already made a movement at the national level. She is talking about making a move when her party is coming out of power in Bengal. ”
Congressional leader Pradip Bhattacharya blamed the Center for an alarming rise in commodity prices, adding that Banerjee is free to lead the protests. “But he must also ensure that the prices of vegetables produced in the state are kept under control.”
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