CHANDIGARH : Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Saturday defended the farm laws passed in Parliament recently as he accused the Congress and other opposition parties of spreading “misinformation, disinformation and outright lies” over the three legislations.
He also said the Narendra Modi government was committed to safeguarding the interest of farmers and said the minimum support price (MSP) system would continue.
“Misinformation, disinformation and outright lies that the Central government intended to dismantle the MSP system and open the agriculture sector whereby our farming community will be the losers,” Puri said while addressing the media here.
The minister further said “lies” were being spread that farmers’ land would be “snatched” by big corporates.
Sale, lease or mortgage of farmers’ land is prohibited. Farmers’ land is also protected against any recovery,” Puri said adding it was mentioned in the Bills.
The Union minister for housing and urban affairs, and civil aviation, sought to know from Congress and other opposition parties if they were opposing the farm bills then why their 33 out total 107 MPs in Rajya Sabha remained absent on September 20.
Puri claimed that former prime minister Manmohan Singh and Montek Singh Ahluwalia former deputy chairman of the erstwhile Planning Commission had said that “these things” should be implemented, apparently referring to the new farm laws.
“These ordinances were promulgated in May. Read Congress manifestoes of 2017 (Punjab Assembly polls) and 2019 (Lok Sabha). Read statements of the two highly accomplished economists — former PM Manmohan Singh and Montek Singh Ahluwalia. They have said these things should be implemented. But no one implemented it,” he said.
Stating that every political party had a right to oppose or dissent, Puri described the ruckus created by the opposition in Rajya Sabha as “political hooliganism”.
“That was not parliamentary democracy. That’s not dissent. That’s political hooliganism,” he said.
Claiming that the new farm laws were a win-win situation for everyone, he said that the BJP-led government wanted to put money in farmers’ pockets by liberating them.
When pointed out that agriculture was a state subject, Puri said that it was mentioned in the Constitution that the union government can legislate in this domain in the national interest. Farmers will be the real beneficiaries as they will get better prices, he said.
To a question about the Shiromani Akali Dal quitting the NDA over the farm laws, Puri, without naming ex-Union minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal, said that till September 6, she had said that these bills were good for farmers.
About the SAD’s claim that they had raised their concerns over the farm reform laws with the Centre, He said, “Where and when it was raised, I do not know. Som Parkash ji (union minister) and I also sit in the council of ministers.”
Harsimrat Kaur Badal in her resignation letter had said that she kept trying to persuade the Union Cabinet to take farmers on board and deal with their concerns over the farm ordinances, which preceded the bills.
Union minister Som Parkash said the SAD had earlier supported the ordinances.
Even former chief minister Parkash Singh Badal also spoke in favour of these bills. Thereafter they suddenly changed their stand, Som Parkash alleged. (AGENCIES)
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