KOCHI: Union Power Minister RK Singh on Sunday termed the ongoing agitation against the Centre’s farm laws “a strike by middlemen”.
Addressing the media on Sunday, the minister said, “It’s just the middlemen from Punjab and west UP who are agitating.”
We have been asking farmers and Opposition party leaders to single out the provisions that are anti-farmer, he said.
“In the current system, middlemen draw huge sums of money. Punjab chief minister even came out with an appeal to restore the role of middlemen. This is a shame. Earlier, every farmer needed to sell their produce in mandis. With the reforms, the power to sell the produce goes back to the farmer. If a farmer makes more selling outside mandis, should he not be free to do so?” asked Singh.