Brushing aside stringent criticism from the opposition and one of its allies, the government on Thursday got two agriculture bills passed in the Lok Sabha by voice vote.
It was an eventful debate in the lower house over the bills—the Farmers Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill and the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill—as one of the NDA allies, Shiromani Akali Dal, also joined the opposition to protest against the bill.
Owing to its own state-level politics, Akali Dal chief Sukhbir Badal announced that his wife and Union minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal will resign from the Narendra Modi cabinet. Within hours, she put in her papers.
"I have resigned from the Union cabinet in protest against anti-farmer ordinances and legislation. Proud to stand with farmers as their daughter and sister," Badal said.
There has been no immediate reaction from the ruling BJP on Badal's resignation. It remains to be seen whether Modi will accept her resignation.
The Akali Dal was forced to take this position as various farmer bodies opposed the new bills. The Congress government in Punjab had questioned Akali Dal's stance on this issue. A day earlier, even BJP chief J.P. Nadda, addressing a press conference, had tried to assuage his ally as he said the bills will favour farmers.
Speaking during the debate, Agriculture Minister Narindra Singh Tomar said Modi government stood for the farmers.
“The ministry budget is Rs 1.34 lakh crore. Had the Modi government anti-farmer, they wouldn’t have spent so much. Over Rs 92,000 crore has been put into the accounts of farmers through direct benefit transfers,” he said.
Tomar charged that the Congress which is now opposing the bills had promised in its election manifesto that it would remove the APMC Act.
"The Congress in its manifesto had said the party would change the APMC Act so that all restrictions on interstate trade are removed. Even the Punjab Congress had given promises on the similar grounds. Now they are opposing it because of politics," Tomar said.
Rubbishing criticism, Tomar said the government’s promise is not for the corporate but to increase the farmers’ income. “This legislation promises to make payment to farmers in three days. This will lead to competitiveness so that farmers will get more prices."
"There are sufficient provisions in the legislation against anyone going against the letter and spirit. No agreement can be made on the ownership of the land. Farmer will continue to be the owner of the land and those leasing the land for farming cannot own it. There are many provisions against those who violate the law," the minister said.
Responding to Tomar's speech, Congress MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury asked how the minister will monitor the disputes. “There are 14 crore agriculture households. How will you keep a tab on these disputes as they reach the SDMs?,” he said.
"The three ordinances are toxic triangle. I applaud Harsimrat Badal for resigning on the issue as these bills are draconian," Chowdury said.
The congress had opposed the bills alleging that the Centre was usurping the powers of the states and bringing these new legislations to help the corporates.
The minister, however, assured that the new bills will not go against the state APMC laws. "We are giving two options to farmer. He could either go to APMC where he has to pay tax or directly sell it without any tax, thus gaining in the process," Tomar said, adding that the MSP will continue to exist. It will be upto the farmer where to sell his produce, he added.
The bills will now go to Rajya Sabha.
