The farmers’ agitation seems poised to occupy centre stage in the Budget Session of Parliament. On Thursday, the Opposition once again tried to corner the Government on the issue of farm laws, forcing adjournment of the Lok Sabha and raising the heat of discussion in the Upper House.
The Lok Sabha proceedings again remained paralysed with the Opposition members continuing their protest against three new farm laws. The House started amid the din with Opposition MPs on their feet and carrying placards against farm laws.
As Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari answered questions on “Bharatmala Pariyojna” on roads and highways, the Opposition parties shouted slogans “India wants justice”, “we want justice” and “Modi-Government shame-shame”.
Gadkari continued to speak amid the din giving details of “Char Dham” road project in Uttarakhand.
The Speaker appealed to members to take their seats but the Opposition remained defiant to his advice. After 15 minutes, the House was adjourned till 5 pm.
When the House resumed BJP MP Meenakshi Lekhi was in the chair. Amid slogan-shouting, Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad introduced Rehabilitation and Reconciliation (amendment) Bill, 2021.
Bedlam continued and the House was adjourned till 6 pm. When it resumed proceedings, BJP MP Rajendra Agarwal was in the Chair who again appealed to the Opposition members to take their seats and start a discussion but loud protests continued in the House, derailing the proceedings. The din continued and the House was adjourned again by the Chair till 7pm.
In the Rajya Sabha, on the second day of discussion on motion of thanks to the President’s address, several Opposition members observed a minute’s silence in memory of death of more than 150 farmers. They reportedly died in the ongoing agitation for the last more than two months at the borders of the national Capital.
The Treasury Benches, however, denied the charge that the laws are anti-farmer and BJP member Jyotiraditya Scindia said the Congress in its election manifesto in 2019 had promised to bring these laws. He also referred to a letter written by then Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar in 2010 to various Agriculture Ministers in the States about the advantages of such laws to give more freedom to the farmers by involving the private sector and increasing their income.
Participating in the discussion, Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan held the previous UPA regime responsible for not paying an adequate Minimum Support Price (MSP) and claimed the NDA Government has increased MSP manifold in the last few years.
Resuming the discussion on Thursday, the first speaker Manoj Jha (RJD) blamed the Government of adopting an aggressive posture while talking to the agitating farmers. He also said the 11 rounds held so far were more of a monologue by the Government.
Calling for the immediate repeal of the three laws, Jha said the Government had lost patience to listen and bear criticism. Instead, any contrary view was painted as anti-national, he said.
Stressing the point that protests and agitations are the lifeblood of democracy, he contested the Government statement of 11 rounds of dialogue have concluded with agitating farmers, saying its Ministers “believe in monologue and not dialogue.”
“They talk of having given this and that to farmers, but there is no place for language of charity in a democracy. The monologues should be ended,” he said.
Lamenting that the protesters were labeled as terrorists and Naxalites, Jha said setting up barricades and barbed wires at the borders looked as if the Government was treating the farmers as enemies.
Digvijaya Singh (Congress) lashed out at the BJP Government, saying right from demonetisation to the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the management of corona fight were blunders that hit the people hard. He also alleged corruption in procuring ventilators and PPE kits.
Former Prime Minister and JD(S) leader HD Deve Gowda called farmers the backbone of the country and said miscreants and anti-social elements were behind the events of Republic Day and all political parties have condemned their actions and agree that they need to be punished. But the farmers’ issue should not be mixed with it, he said and added that the issue should be dealt with amicably.
Sanjay Singh (AAP) charged the BJP with engineering the incidents at the Red Fort on January 26. Claiming that seven other routes on which the tractor rally was brought out no incidents were reported.
He also said the Arvind Kejriwal-led Government in Delhi will keep backing the farmers.
Derek O’Brien (TMC) said the present regime was a failed Government, be it handling the corona challenge or implementing the farm laws. Terming the death of a farmer in a tractor overturning incident on January 26 under “mysterious circumstances”, he said the Prime Minister and Home Minister were responsible for law and order in the national Capital.
In a scathing attack on the Government over its handling of the ongoing farmers’ agitation, MV Shreyams Kumar (Loktantrik Janata Dal) said the Government remained a mute spectator while democracy was “butchered” just a few kilometers away from the Rashtrapati Bhavan.
Friday, 05 February 2021 | PNS | New Delhi
