MUMBAI: BJP president J P Nadda on Thursday accused the Congress of having "double standards" on agriculture sector reforms and called its protests over the three new farm laws as a "cushion seat" agitation.
The Congress is vehemently opposing the three new farm laws enacted by the Modi government last month and its leader Rahul Gandhi has been leading protests over the issue.
"The Congress party has displayed double standards on farm sector reforms. The party had made similar promises in the past, but is now opposing the same reforms unveiled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi," Nadda said, addressing a virtual meeting of the Maharashtra BJP.
"It took out a tractor rally with cushion seats to protest against it (the new farm laws). Is this the thinking of the Congress towards farmers. The party, in its election manifesto, had made the same promises (of reforming farm sector), but took out a rally when Prime Minister Modi implemented them, he said.
Gandhi came under attack over a cushion he used to sit on a tractor during a rally in Punjab against the new farm laws.
The BJP chief said NCP president Sharad Pawar, an ally of the Congress, had taken a similar stance over the laws though the former Union agriculture minister has been advocating reforms in the key sector for long.
Pawar himself has been advocating reforms for a long time, but when we did it, we suddenly become anti-farmers, he said. Everyone likes to call themselves as farmer leaders but they do not do anything for farmers.
Modiji has set budget for the farm sector at Rs 1.36 lakh crore, which is almost 11 times than what was allocated in 2008-09 (under UPA rule)," Nadda said.
BJP workers should know these facts and explain them to people, he said.
Parliament had passed The Farmers'' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020, The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill, 2020 and The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill 2020 during the Monsoon Session.