Soon after the contentious farm bills were passed in the Rajya Sabha by voice vote, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said the passing of the bills in parliament was a “watershed moment in history of Indian agriculture.”
“A watershed moment in the history of Indian agriculture! Congratulations to our hardworking farmers on the passage of key bills in Parliament, which will ensure a complete transformation of the agriculture sector as well as empower crores of farmers.,” PM said in a series of tweets.
“For decades, the Indian farmer was bound by various constraints and bullied by middlemen. The bills passed by Parliament liberate the farmers from such adversities. These bills will add impetus to the efforts to double income of farmers and ensure greater prosperity for them,” he said.
“Our agriculture sector is in desperate need of latest technology that assists the industrious farmers. Now, with the passage of the bills, our farmers will have easier access to futuristic technology that will boost production and yield better results. This is a welcome step,” PM added.
“I said it earlier and I say it once again: System of MSP will remain. Government procurement will continue. We are here to serve our farmers. We will do everything possible to support them and ensure a better life for their coming generations,” he added.
The Upper House has passed two of the three farm bills of the government.
The Farmers Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020; and The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill, 2020 were passed by the house.
However, the opposition claimed the government did not have the numbers and to cover it up, all rules were violated.
Opposition lacked the numbers to block the bills and had demanded that the bills be sent to a select committee for further discussion.
In the House, the Deputy Chairman said the opposition resolution was negated and moved to pass the bills by voice vote.
However, the opposition demanded a physical voting saying that that they were sitting in parliament.
The Chair refused their demand and in response, they rushed to the Well of the House, tore up the rule book and tried to snatch off the Deputy Chairman’s microphone.
Following the ruckus, the house was adjourned immediately for 10 minutes.
After it resumed, the voice vote took place amid repeated opposition slogans from the opposition who again parked themselves in the Well of the House.