The three recent agriculture legislations are not coercive but only offer options to farmers, and there are no restrictions on the old Mandis, said prime minister Narendra Modi today in Lok Sabha.

In a reply to the discussion on the motion of thanks to the president’s address to the joint sitting of Parliament, the prime minister said even after the laws came into force no agriculture ‘mandi’ has been shut anywhere in the country and the minimum support price (MSP) system has remained in place. Modi blamed the Opposition for “misleading” farmers regarding the new laws.“These are the well-thought- out attempts to shout and create chaos political conspiracy…but you [Opposition] cannot earn people’s trust this way.”

To allay apprehensions on the three legislations, the prime minister assured farmers that the government is ready to discuss clause by clause every provision of the three farm laws. If there are any shortcomings, it was ready to make changes. At the same time, he also said the government respects farmers.

“This is why top ministers of the government are constantly talking to them,” the prime minister said.

Talking about the benefits of these laws, the PM said reform is necessary in agriculture sector as one cannot deal with 21st century agriculture with 18th century mindset. “Until we bring investment and new technologies to our agriculture, we will not be able to make our farming sector strong. We need to go beyond growing only wheat and paddy,” said Modi.

Highlighting the historical importance of agriculture, he said farming was not related to only cultivation but it is a part of culture for ages. “Be it festival or folk song, everything is somehow connected with agriculture,” he said.

In his 90-minute-long speech, he raked up Chaudhary Charan Singh’s advice~ the entire country should be treated as one agricultural market.

Modi called the farmer protest ‘Pavitra’ (scared) but said he feels very sad when it was hijacked by ‘Andolanjeevis’.

The prime minister’s speech was frequently disrupted by Opposition members who were raising slogans to repeal the farm laws. Congress members also staged a walkout from the House.

In his address, the PM said the NDA government has tried everything to bring changes in the country and asserted that “if the intention is good, then the results will also be good”. He also took a potshot at those ‘groups of people’ who are saying these reforms are unnecessary. “I am surprised that for the first time a new argument has come ~ we did not ask, so why did you give. Be it issue of dowry or triple talaq, no one had demanded laws to deal with them, but the laws were made as they were necessary for a progressive society,” he said.

Modi also highlighted importance of the private sector, saying that while public sector is essential, the role of the private sector is also equally important.

In the beginning of his speech, the prime minister highlighted country’s successful fight against Covid-19.

He gave full credit to 130 crore Indians, and said it is their discipline which saved the country from pandemic.