Hittingout at Modi government over farm laws on Wednesday, Member of ParliamentSantokh Singh Chaudhary said that the government has made the said laws anissue of ego and instead of holding discussions in good faith, the BJPministers are trying to discredit and defame the annadata.
Ina statement, he said that on one hand, the ministers are negotiating withfarmers’ unions, while on the other, the BJP is labelling the annadata askhalistanis, Pakistanis, naxals, Maoists and terrorists. “Our sons of soil fillthe government's granaries and fight at international borders, but thisungrateful regime only insults them by using these baseless labels for them,”he added.
Hesaid due to hard work and dedication of the farmers, India’s agriculture hassurvived even the COVID-19 pandemic and posted positive growth rates, but theselaws would act as death warrants and destroy it.
TheCongress MP questioned the need to bring the three laws as ordinances duringthe pandemic. He said under Article 123 of the Constitution of India, anordinance can only be promulgated when there is a necessity to take immediateaction, but these farm ordinances were not necessary, which, moreover, werebrought without consulting the farmers. “Whenever the government makes policiesrelated to any sector, the stakeholders are always consulted, but in case ofthese laws, the farmers were kept in the dark,” he said.
Thesenior Congress leader further said that the laws were beyond the legislativecompetence of the Parliament as agriculture is a state subject, at Entry No. 14of List II under Schedule VII of the Constitution and therefore, the Modigovernment had no right to bring these legislations.
Despitemonths long strong protests of farmers and opposition parties, MP Chaudharystated, the government has refused to repeal the laws and made the entirematter an issue of ego, adding that in a democracy, the voice of people isalways supreme, but according to Central government, there’s ‘too muchdemocracy’ in India and hence, only the inflated ego of PM matters.
Hesaid the government has now offered to discuss the laws clause by clause, butin Parliament, they bulldozed them through instead of resolving the issuesraised by the MPs including himself.
MPChaudhary said the Modi government has a history of introducing major decisionsincluding demonetisation and GST as beneficial, but they always caused harm topeople and the same would happen in case of these laws. “Only the cronycapitalists are happy with the Modi government, while everyone else includingdalits, adivasis, students, teachers, minorities, farmers and labourers areopposing its oppressive policies,” he added.
Hedemanded that the government should immediately call the winter session ofParliament and the farm laws should be repealed.