Close on the hells of Shiromani Akali Dal MP and Union Cabinet minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal’s resignation from the central government, the Congress party on Thursday night protested against the Centre’s agriculture sector legislations and said that the new bills defeat the purpose of the Green Revolution.
Calling it “a death knell for the future of farming”, the party alleged that the National Democratic Alliance government, like the coronavirus pandemic, was attacking the lives and livelihood of farmers.
Congress MPs protested in front of the Mahatma Gandhi statue in the Parliament Complex, raised slogans against the Narendra Modi government and some party MPs from Punjab even burnt copies of the farm bills inside the Parliament premises.
The Lok Sabha on Thursday passed by virtue of voice vote the Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020 and the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill, 2020. The Lower House has already passed the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill. These legislations are set to replace ordinances promoted by the central government.
Congress MPs Jasbir Singh Gill, Ravneet Singh Bittu, Gurjit Singh Aujla and Amar Singh burnt copies of the legislation and said that they will oppose the proposed bill in every possible way. They were seem wearing black robes that said ‘I am a farmer and farm labourer and don’t betray me’.
