Hundreds of farmers gathered at Jantar Mantar in Delhi on Monday to register their protest against the central government’s three new farm bills. The protest organised by Aam Aadmi Party’s Punjab unit is largely attended by farmers and AAP supporters from Punjab.
Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Singh, Delhi’s cabinet minister Gopal Rai, Member of parliament Bhagwant Mann, and other AAP leaders raised their concerns while protesting the farm bills.
CM Kejriwal while opposing the farm bills demanded that a new law should be passed to ensure a 100% minimum support price (MSP). ” AAP opposes the three anti-farm laws. The first thing is that these three bills should be rolled back. Law should be brought to guarantee a 100% MSP. This is the demand of the farmers. This is what the farmers need,” Kejriwal said.
“They state that just 6% of the farmers’ produce in the whole nation is bought on MSP, does that mean [you] will remove the MSP? If you are buying only 6% produce on MSP then damn it on your governments,” Kejriwal questioned the central government.
Aam Aadmi Party leader Sanjay Singh alleged the prime minister Narendra Modi is ‘lying that there is no loss for farmers due to the farm bills.’ ” I asked the BJP supporters if there is a mention of MSP in any of three bills. ….. There is no mention of MSP in any of these bills,” Sanjay Singh said while addressing the crowd.
The protesters were holding placards, raising slogans continuously. Many protesters were also detained at Jantar Mantar by the Delhi Police.
It is to be noted the three new farm bills – The Farmers’ Produce Trade And Commerce (Promotion And Facilitation) Bill, The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill, and The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill have become a center of criticism all across the country. However, Prime Minister Narendra Modi earlier alleged the farmers were being misled on MSP and that MSP would stay.
