Centre’s offer on farm laws still stands: PM

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday repeated the Government’s offer to suspend the three contested laws and said the Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar had told farmers that he is “only a phone call away”. That offer, said the PM, still stands.

Addressing an all-party meeting where almost all opposition party leaders raised the ongoing farmers’ agitation and the urgent need to resolve the issue, the PM said the Government is open for discussion.

“During the eleventh round of talks, we had said the Government is open for discussion. Agriculture Minister had told them he is only a phone call away. He told them whenever you give a call, I am ready for discussion. This still stands good. This is what the Prime Minister said today,” said Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi while briefing reporters after the meeting got over in the afternoon.

From the Opposition, Ghulam Nabi Azad of the Congress, Trinamool Congress’s Sudip Bandyopadhyay, Vinayak Raut of the Shiv Sena, Shiromani Akali Dal’s Balwinder Singh Bhunder and JD(U)’s RCP Singh attended the meeting.

Withdrawal sought

The Opposition leaders raised the issue of the farmers’ agitation with some demanding immediate withdrawal of the farm acts. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi also participated in the meeting held via video-conferencing. After the Opposition’s boycott of the President’s address to the joint session of Parliament, the Government appealed to the parties to cooperate in smooth functioning of the House.

The Opposition insisted at the meeting that farmers’ issues must be discussed. Azad is learnt to have reminded the Centre that his party had warned the government about the possible agitation and, now, the government is struggling to deal with the consequences. CPI(M) leader Elamaram Kareem urged that issues of farmers, workers and price rise of essential items and petroleum products must be discussed in Parliament, besides the love jihad law by the Uttar Pradesh government. AAP leader Bhagwant Singh Mann said certain unruly elements sneaked into the protests and all the protesters should not be termed as violent for the action of a few.

Pawar’s apprehensions

On his Twitter handle, former Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar said issues related to the farmers’ agitation, women’s bill and other important items were discussed. Pawar gave details of his apprehensions on the farm laws.

“Reform is a continuous process and no one would argue against the reforms in the APMCs or the mandi system. A positive argument on the same does not mean that it is done to weaken or demolish the system. But I am concerned. Also about the amended Essential Commodities Act. Stockpiling limits have been removed on foodgrains, pulses, onion, potato, oilseeds etc. It may lead to apprehensions that corporates may purchase commodities at lower rates and stock pile and sell at higher prices to consumers,” said Pawar.

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