On the contentious Agriculture Bills, the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) MP Manoj Kumar Jha on Sunday said that we don’t want a situation similar to that under East India Company.
“You have to decide whether you want to stay in the middle or in the hearts of the farmers. You should think about the farmers. What is it that they want? The farmers look up to you. It shouldn’t be that our situation becomes similar to that under the East India Company,” the MP said.
“The income won’t even survive under these bills, how will you double them? This story won’t be limited to Punjab and Haryana but will extend to BJP. The BJP should consider this,” he added.
On other hand, the Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut said, “Can the government assure the country that after the passing of the agriculture reform bills, the farmers’ income will double and no farmer will commit suicide?”
“A special session should be called to discuss these bills. If it just a rumour that MSP won’t be ended, why did a minister of the government resign on the basis of a rumour,” he added.
Amid the ongoing ruckus in the Parliament over the agriculture bills, the protest is also going on the roads as the road in Jind’s Kandela village was also blocked by the protesting farmers.
According to reports, the farmers have started blocking some parts of the roads in Haryana.
The protest, under the Bhartiya Kisan Union, will not be held along the Delhi-Ambala-Chandigarh highway, the outfit said.
Congress asserted that it will “not sign on the death warrant”. Asserting it as an attack on farmers’ soul, Congress MP Pratap Singh Bajwa said his party would not sign “death warrant for farmers”.
He further said, “Farmers are not illiterate. They understand that this is a way to do away with MSP. Once this is passed, corporate houses will take over farmlands. He added that trade was how the East India Company and the Portuguese invaded India.
Introducing the Bill, Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar said, “I want to assure everyone that the bills have nothing to do with MSPs. MSPs were there and will continue. I would request everyone to reconsider their views on the farm bills. The two bills are historic and will bring a change in the lives of the farmers. The farmers will be able to freely trade their produce anywhere in the country.”