Buffaloes & tractors: Tejashwi leads RJD's protest against Farm Bills ahead of Bihar polls

Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav drove a tractor on Thursday in Patna as he took part in the protest against Farm Bills which were passed in Parliament recently. Speaking to reporters, he termed the bill as "anti-farmer" and claimed that it has left the farmers dejected.

'Farm bills will make farmers poorer'

Taking a jibe at the government, he said that they have made our "anndaata a puppet through its fund daata" The son of former CM Lalu Prasad Yadav alleged that the agriculture sector has been corporatised and these Bills will make the farmers poorer which is contrary to the government's claim of doubling their income by 2020. His partymen protested against the Bills by riding buffaloes in Darbhanga.

'These bills are in interests of farmers'

On Thursday, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar backed the Agriculture sector reform Bills passed by the Parliament said that misinformation is being spread about these bills. "We had started this earlier. There was no procurement in Bihar, we started it and the work we have done earlier and somebody else is taking it forward in the country, I don't think misinformation should be spread. These bills are in interests of farmers," he said.

Protests have been witnessed in several parts of the country against the newly passed Bills. On September 17, SAD leader and Lok Sabha MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal resigned from the Union Cabinet, displaying her opposition to the three Bills.

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According to the Centre, these Bills will help small and marginal farms by allowing them to sell produce outside mandis and sign agreements with agri-business firms and doing away with stock-holding limits on key commodities. The Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020 and the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill, 2020 were passed by Parliament on Sunday.

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