Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Sunday said that Congress fully supports the agitating farmers who are protesting against the three ordinances passed by Centre while addressing a virtual press conference. The senior Congress leader said that these ordinances will break the agrarian foundations of this nation which has been built over the last 50 years.
Ramesh while speaking to media persons in a virtual press conference said, “The ordinances will pave way for contract farming as well as private farming. Public procurement of foodgrains which is done by the Food Department of India will be adversely affected and there are apprehensions that foodgrains will be sold at lesser minimum selling price (MSPs).”
He further added, “I request the government to not break the pillar of food security and protection.”
Farmers in Haryana and Punjab started agitating against the Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Ordinance, 2020, the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Ordinance, 2020, and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Ordinance, 2020, three ordinances that the Centre had passed during the lockdown period.
Farmers under the leadership of Gurnam Singh, Haryana unit chief of Bharatiya Kisan Union, blocked the NH 24 near Pipli, Kurukshetra on Thursday when they organised a rally. Farmers were lathicharged by the police for breaking Covid-19 prohibitory rules and were charged for destruction to public property.
On Saturday, a BJP delegation consisting of BJP’s Haryana unit chief Om Prakash Dhankar, Bhiwani-Mahendergarh MP Dharambir Singh, Kurukshetra MP Nayab Singh Saini and Hisar MP Brijendra Singh met the farmers and assured them that procurement based on MSPs will not be affected.
BJP has accused the opposition political parties of creating panic among the farmers. Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said that Congress MPs will speak to other opposition members from other parties and raise this issue in the monsoon session. He asked the government to consider taking back the ordinances which hurt the Indian farmer.
