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regular-article-logo Friday, 22 November 2024

No plan to bring back farm laws: Tomar clarifies

Union agriculture minister urges farmers to be wary of confusion being created by Congress on this issue

Our Bureau, PTI Gwalior Published 26.12.21, 09:06 AM
Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar

Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar File Picture

Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar on Sunday said the government has no plan to bring back the recently repealed farm laws, and urged farmers to be wary of "confusion" being created by the Congress on this issue.

Tomar, in a statement, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi had decided to withdraw agriculture reform laws to protect the interest of farmers.

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"The government has no plan to bring the (repealed) agriculture laws again. ...Congress is indulging in a negative work of spreading confusion to cover up its failures," Tomar said and asked farmers to beware of this.

In his address to the nation on November 19, Modi had announced withdrawal of the three controversial farm laws in a bid to end a year-long massive protest by farmers at the borders of the national capital.

These laws were passed in Parliament in September 2020 but the Supreme Court had stayed their roll out in March 2021 and finally were repealed on November 29 by passing a bill due to mounting pressure from protesting farmers.

These three laws were: The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020; The Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, and The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020.

"The country’s agriculture minister has insulted Modiji’s apology. This is condemnable. If anti-farming steps are taken again, there will be another satyagraha by farmers. Arrogance was defeated earlier, it will be defeated again,” Congress leader Rahul Gandhi tweeted criticising Tomar.

"I had said that the government had made good (farm) laws. We took them back due to some reasons. The government will continue to work for the welfare of the farmers," the minister said.

Congress communications chief Randeep Surjewala said: “We had said from the very beginning that Prime Minister Narendra Modi retreated (on the contentious farm laws) fearing heavy losses in the upcoming Assembly elections. He made a tactical retreat.”

Surjewala said: “They intend to hand over the agriculture trade to their capitalist friends and they will hit back again. The farmers should teach the BJP a lesson by defeating them in the five states that are going to the polls.”

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