New Delhi, October 21
Delhi’s chief minister and AAP national convener, Arvind Kejriwal, said on Wednesday that the Punjab government cannot change the laws enacted by the Center and asked if farmers will get the minimum price support from state assembly legislation. .
The Punjab Assembly on Tuesday adopted a resolution rejecting the Center’s new agricultural laws and passed four bills that it said will counter controversial legislation enacted by Parliament.
The bills were approved and the resolution adopted unanimously after more than five hours of discussion on the second day of a special session of the assembly called by the congressional government led by Amarinder Singh.
In reaction to the move, Kejriwal called it “drama” and claimed that the Punjab government cannot change the laws enacted by the Center.
“Raja Sahib, modified the laws of the Center. Can the state change the laws of the Center? No. You did a drama. You fooled people. The laws you passed yesterday, will farmers get MSP? No. Farmers want MSP, not their bogus and bogus laws, ”Kejriwal tweeted, tagging the post of Punjab’s Chief Minister’s Office.
CMO Punjab said: “Amazed by the double standards of SAD and AAP, says @capt_amarinder Singh about his criticism of state bills after endorsing them in the House. CM asks @ArvindKejriwal to follow Punjab’s lead to introduce similar bills to save farmers. “
State bills provide for prison terms of no less than three years for the sale or purchase of wheat or rice below the minimum support price (MSP), exempting farmers from the award of land of up to 2.5 acres and the prevention of hoarding and black marketing of Agricultural Products.
State bills, however, need the governor’s consent before they become laws. The governor could deny the assent and forward it to the president.
The Punjab Assembly also adopted a resolution rejecting the Center’s new agricultural laws. The opposition and farmers’ unions claim that the new laws will lead to the dismantling of the MSP system, a suggestion that the BJP-led government has repeatedly denied in the Center. – PTI
