SMRITI IRANI JUSTIFIES ABSENCE OF MINISTER AT FARMERS’ MEET
BATHINDA: Textiles minister Smriti Irani on Thursday justified the absence of any Union minister at the meeting called by the agriculture department with farmer union leaders in Delhi on October 14 by saying that the invitation had specifically mentioned that a team led by agriculture secretary Sanjay Agarwal will hold discussions with the farm leaders.
“It is wrong to conclude that elected representatives stayed away from Wednesday meeting as the deliberation was held as per the programme,” she said during a virtual interaction with journalists. Irani, who was addressing the videoconference from Delhi, avoided answering if the Centre would agree to the demand of a minister’s presence for a dialogue with protesting farmer unions.
“New farm rules were tabled in the Parliament and duly passed by both Houses. Nonetheless, Union agriculture minister Narendra Singh Tomar and defence minister Rajnath Singh were constantly in touch with officials and experts in the agriculture department during yesterday’s meeting,” she said.
The minister said the delegation had submitted a charter of demands to the Union government, but some of these points were not related to agriculture reforms or new laws.
“One of the key points was a demand to release certain activists from jails,” she added.
Irani said the Punjab government was supporting anti-social elements engaged in holding protests outside BJP leaders’ houses and attacking them. She neither commented on the Shiromani Akali Dal’s claim that the new rules were against farmers’ interests nor made any observation on the unions who have blocked railway route in Punjab.
“Akalis may have their own internal political issues, but the Centre on various occasions had clearly talked about farm reforms for the benefit of the farming community. Modi government is committed to enhancing farmers’ income. The Congress is creating a false narrative that the new farm bills are anti-farmers,” she said.