NEW DELHI: With political heat and opposition rising over the three farm sector Bills, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday appealed all non-BJP parties to come together to oppose them. The Aam Aadmi Party leader claimed the proposed laws would leave farmers in the hands of big companies for exploitation.
He also asked these parties to ensure that all of their members are present in the House and that they do not stage a walkout “drama”. “I request all non-BJP parties to unite in the Rajya Sabha and oppose these Bills, make sure all your MPs are present and do not stage a walkout drama. Farmers all over the country are watching you,” Kejriwal said in a tweet in Hindi.
The Centre introduced the Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill, and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill in Parliament on Monday to replace ordinances promulgated earlier. The first two Bills were passed by Lok Sabha on Thursday, while the third one was passed on Tuesday.
Farmers in states like Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh have been protesting against these proposed laws claiming that they will end up dismantling the existing government-backed support system. While Delhi has very few farmers, the issue becomes politically relevant for the Aam Aadmi Party in the important state of Punjab where it’s eyeing the seat of power in 2022. After Delhi, Punjab is the only state where AAP has a good presence and base of supporters. In the 2017 Assembly Elections, AAP has emerged as the second-largest party with 20 MLAs.
AAP’s Punjab unit has been opposing the changes. “September 17 will be considered as a black day for the farmers of India. On his birthday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi presented a bunch of anti-farmer bills to the farmers of India. This amendment bill is completely against the farmers and will only benefit the industrialists.
At the end of the day, the farmers will become beggars,” said AAP Lok Sabha MP from Punjab Bhagwant Mann. Mann, president of the party’s Punjab unit, also hit out at the Congress, which is the ruling party in Punjab, and the Shiromani Akali Dal. “The Congress and the SAD are equally responsible for these bills. CM Amarinder Singh and Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal supported these Bills,” said Mann.
All three Bills already cleared by Lok Sabha
The Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill and the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill were passed by Lok Sabha on Thursday while the the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill was passed by Lok Sabha on Tuesday