Oppn unable to point out flaws in farm laws: Tomar

Speaking in RS, agri minister says that farmers are being instigated and stir limited to one state

NEW DELHI: Protests against three farm laws are limited to “one state” where cultivators are misguided by Opposition parties and the government’s offer to amend provisions doesn’t mean the reform legislation were flawed, Union agriculture minister Narendra Singh Tomar said on Friday, as the 15-hour debate on agriculture issues in the Rajya Sabha concluded.

Speaking in the Upper House, Tomar said the Opposition labelled the three laws as “black law” but couldn’t find a single shortcoming in the legislation. “Opposition is continuously saying this is a black law and should be repealed. I am holding meetings with farmers unions for the last several months. I’m asking the same question to them also, what are the black provisions in these bills? Till now, I’m waiting for their reply,” he said.

The 15 hour-long discussion in Rajya Sabha on the motion of thanks to the President’s address concluded on Friday. As many as 50 speakers from 25 parties participated in the debate, including 18 from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), five from Congress,

Aand 27 from other parties.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to reply to the debate on Monday, even as no discussions have taken place in the Lok Sabha because of disruptions by the Opposition. Modi, who customarily addresses Lok Sabha first, was scheduled to speak in the LS on Friday.

Tomar said the government’s offer to amend some provisions were meant to assuage farmer sentiments and did not mean the laws had any flaws. He also said the protests were limited to only one state. “People in a particular state are misinformed. Farmers are being misled that others would occupy their land if these laws are implemented. Let me know if there is a single provision in contract farming law which allows any trader to snatch away the land of any farmer,” he said, in a clear reference to Punjab though he did not name any state.

To be sure, while farmers from Punjab started the agitation, protests have spread in Haryana, western UP and Rajasthan, and mahapanchayats called by farm leaders in these states have seen massive crowds.

The minister said the government wanted to double farmer incomes and expand the contribution of agriculture to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). “These agriculture laws are also an important step in this direction. I want to tell this House and farmers that PM Modi is committed towards welfare of farmers,” he added.

For 72 days, farm unions have camped outside Delhi against the three laws that cultivators say favour big corporations. The government has refuted the concerns, and offered to put the laws on hold for 18 months, but talks are currently locked in a stalemate. Opposition parties — including the Congress, Shiv

Sena, Shiromani Akali Dal, Nationalist Congress Party, Samajwadi Party and Left parties — attacked the Centre.

Sena MP Sanjay Raut criticised the government for dubbing the protests “anti-national”. “When the farmers are uniting and fighting for their rights, you see anti-national acts. They are not anti-nationals or Khalistanis,” he said.

Congress MP Pratap Singh Bajwa accused the Centre of passing farm laws amid the Covid-19 pandemic. “Today we have cut electricity, water supply, internet supply of our own farmers.”

His party colleague Anand Sharma criticised the violence on Republic Day. “We have become internet shutdown capital of the world. It is time to mend ways, especially during this Parliament session,” he said, referring to the snapping of internet at protest sites.

Senior Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge accused the Centre of lying about MSP. “They (Centre) lie regarding MSP. Modi ji never stops saying that Congress did not increase MSP, [the] reality is in Congress’ time MSP increased by 219%, they only increased a little over 40%,” he said.