New Delhi: Opposition parties Wednesday met President Ram Nath Kovind. The leaders representing the various opposition parties sought repeal of the three farm laws. Thousands of farmers have been protesting on various borders of the national capital against the new farm laws. .
The five-member delegation of opposition leaders included Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, NCP chief Sharad Pawar, CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury, CPI general secretary D Raja and DMK leader TKS Elangovan.
The opposition leaders submitted a memorandum to the President. “We urge upon you, as the custodian of the Indian Constitution, to persuade your government not to be obdurate and accept the demands raised by India’s annadatas,” it said.
“The new agri laws were passed in Parliament in an anti-democratic manner. There was no structured discussion and voting. The new laws threaten India’s food security, destroy Indian agriculture and our farmers, lay the basis for the abolishment of the Minimum Support Price (MSP) and mortgage Indian agriculture and our markets to the caprices of multi-national agri-business corporates and domestic corporate,” the memorandum stated.
“We met President and informed him of our view regarding the three farm laws. We have asked for their repeal. We informed the President that it is critical that they are taken back,” Rahul told reporters after meeting the president.
The Congress leader said the way the farm laws were passed in Parliament, ‘we feel it was an insult to farmers’. That is why they are protesting in the cold weather against them, he informed. “The farmers will not relent and will continue their protests till the laws and taken back,” asserted Rahul.
NCP leader Pawar said various political parties have requested president that these farm laws should be repealed. They were not discussed with either stakeholders or in the Select Committee of Parliament. The former Union Agriculture Minister said not a single suggestion of opposition leaders raised in Parliament was accepted by the government. He stated that all these bills were passed in haste. Pawar said the MSP has not been mentioned in the new farm laws and that is why the farmers are disturbed.
Yechury said, “We told the president that the three farm laws were passed undemocratically in Parliament. We have sought the repeal of these laws.” He added the government should repeal the acts in view of the widespread protests by farmers.
