AGENCIES / WEB DESK
Prime Minister Narendra Modi led NDA government seemed to be facing more after the passage of two key farm bills in Parliament today. While farmers have been protesting, leading to sealing of Punjab and Haryana border, BJP’s Haryana ally and Deputy CM Dushyant Chautala has threatened to quit over “danger” to minimum support price system. Punjab CM Amarinder Singh, meanwhile, said that he will take BJP and its allies — including Akali Dal — to court over the “unconstitutional anti-farmer laws”. This comes even as SAD MP Harsimrat Kaur resigned from the Union cabinet over the bills.
Farmers on Sunday blocked roads in Haryana and burnt effigies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in neighbouring Punjab, protesting against the farm bills passed in Parliament. Farmers occupied portions of roads and highways at several places in Haryana between 12 and 3 pm, following a call given by the state unit of the Bhartiya Kisan Union against the agri-marketing bills, two of which were passed in Rajya Sabha on Sunday.
Punjab protesters set fire to one of their own tractors when they were forced to end their rally at the Haryana border, police said. Farmers were joined by ‘arhitiyas’ — or the commission agents at mandis’ –during their protests at many places in Haryana.
The situation at the Haryana-Punjab border was tense for a while as Youth Congress activists were bent upon moving on the national highway towards Delhi. But the spot was heavily barricaded by police, who also used water cannons to disperse the protesters.
Farmers at several places in Punjab burnt effigies and copies of the farm bills, claiming that the new laws will destroy their livelihood. The three bills are aimed at giving farmers the choice to sell their produce at competitive prices. But many farm organisations fear they will lead to the dismantling of the minimum support price (MSP) system.
On the other hand, all APMC mandis across Rajasthan have decided to observe a one-day strike on September 21 (tomorrow), at least 10 farmer organisations have given a state-wide bandh call for September 25 and a country-wide ‘resistance’ call by the AIKSCC has also been given for the same day.
On Sunday, Rajya Sabha passed the Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020, and the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill, 2020. The bills were passed by Lok Sabha on Thursday. A third bill is yet to be passed in Rajya Sabha.
