Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman lashed out at Congress Leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday for criticizing the three agricultural bills, which were passed during the monsoon session in Parliament earlier this year. Sitharaman questioned MP Wayanad Lok Sabha the reason for his lack of support for the same reforms promised by his party during last year’s parliamentary elections.
“I want to ask Rahul Gandhi (that) weren’t these pro-farmer policies mentioned in the 2019 Congressional Election Manifesto? They are protesting only because those reforms are being implemented by Prime Minister Modi, and not by them, ”the Finance Minister was quoted as saying by the ANI news agency.
In its reform plan in the agricultural sector, the Congressional electoral manifesto for the 2019 Lok Sabha polls said that if the party forms the government, it would “repeal the Agricultural Products Market Committees (APMC) Law and make trade of agricultural products – including exports and interstate commerce, free from all restrictions. “The party’s manifesto had also said that it holds that the” Essential Products Act of 1955 belongs to the era of controls. Congress promises to replace the law with an enabling law that can only be invoked in emergencies. “
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has previously addressed Congress for its stance on the APMC law. Government sources told PTI earlier this month that the head of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), Sharad Pawar, was also interested in amending the APMC law.
Despite his promise to repeal the Essential Products Law, after its passage in September, the leader of Congress and CM Amarinder Singh of Punjab had said that his government would challenge the laws in the Supreme Court.
The BJP has previously said that previous governments in the Center did not have the willpower to go through with tough reforms. Speaking exclusively to the Hindustan Times earlier this month, the Union’s agriculture minister, Narendra Singh Tomar, had said: “Those who believe in the status quo cannot create history. Even the UPA wanted to make these reforms but could not ”.
On Saturday, Prime Minister Modi once again assured farmers protesting against the three laws and asked them to resume discussions. “We have not claimed to have all the knowledge. There should be a debate. This is how democracy works. We are ready to approach all problems with an open mind, ”he said.
Farmers have been protesting for almost a month on the borders of Delhi against the Trade and Trade in Agricultural Products (Promotion and Facilitation) Act 2020; the Farmers Agreement (Empowerment and Protection) on Price Guarantee and Agricultural Services Law, 2020; and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act 2020.
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