HOPE PAWAR WILL CHANGE STAND AFTER KNOWING ‘FACTS’: MINISTER

New Delhi, Jan. 31: Agriculture minister Narendra Singh Tomar on Sunday expressed dismay over NCP supremo Sharad Pawar’s tweets criticising the farm laws, saying they were a mix of “ignorance and misinformation” about the legislation, and hoped that the veteran leader will change his stand after knowing the “facts”.

In a series of tweets, Pawar had on Saturday said the new agriculture laws of the Union government will adversely impact the Minimum Support Price (MSP) procurement and weaken the “mandi” system.

The tweets by Mr Pawar — who as the agriculture minister during the UPA period had pitched for these reforms — comes at a time when talks between the Centre and the 41 protesting farmers’ unions have reached a deadlock.

Responding to the NCP leader’s remarks, Mr Tomar said Pawar, who is a veteran leader, is also considered well-versed with the issues and solutions relating to agriculture. “Pawar himself tried hard to bring the same agriculture reforms earlier.”

“Since he speaks with some experience and expertise on the issue, it was dismaying to see his tweets employ a mix of ignorance and misinformation on the agriculture reforms. Let me take this opportunity to present some facts,” Mr Tomar said on Twitter.

The minister countered Mr Pawar’s tweet which said that the amended Essential Commodities Act “may lead to apprehensions that corporates may purchase commodities at lower rates and stockpile and sell at higher prices to consumers.”