Delhi Police on high alert at Haryana border amid farmers' protests on agriculture bills

The Delhi Police is on high alert at the Haryana border in the wake of the farmers' agitation over agriculture sector reform Bills that were passed by Rajya Sabha on Sunday.

Farmers' Produce Trade And Commerce (Promotion And Facilitation) Bill; The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill; and Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill— are facing staunch protests of farmers not only in Haryana, but neighbouring states as well. Forces have been deployed near the Ashok Nagar-Ghazipur area and Delhi-Haryana border as a precautionary measure.

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On September 19, farmers and Artiyas (commission agents) in Rohtak took to streets and raised slogans against the centre's agricultural reforms. The farmers said that their protests would continue until the government takes back the three agricultural bills. Apart from Haryana, the Punjab Youth Congress is also taking out a 'tractor rally' from Punjab to Delhi against the Centre's farm-related measures.

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Lok Sabha passed the three bills

Lok Sabha on September 17 passed Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020 and the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill, 2020. All these three bills introduced by the government have drawn massive criticism from the Opposition as it tried to put a united fight against the legislations by terming the bills as anti-farmer and pro-corporate bills. Congress leader PL Punia launched an attack on the BJP government and said that the opposition parties will together challenge these three bills in the Rajya Sabha on September 20. 

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After the bills were tabled up in the Rajya Sabha on Sunday, the Congress party left no stone unturned to turn up the heat and level allegations against the BJP-led central government. Congress accused BJP of introducing these three bills to 'destroy' the farmers and help in the corporate sector. A proposition to oppose the three bills in the Upper House was also made during the Rajya Sabha session on Sunday. 

What are the three agricultural bills?

These three agricultural bills were introduced by Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar to replace three ordinances promulgated on June 5. As per the PM Modi government, The Essential Commodities Act, 1955 is being amended to ensure that all the farmers get the right price on many commodities. Items such as food grains, oil, dal, pulses, potato have been removed from the purview of this Act. 

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Meanwhile, The Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020 aims at freeing the farmers from the constraints of the state Agriculture Produce Market Committees (APMCs) whereby they would be able to sell their produce anywhere. On the other hand, The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill, 2020 protects and empowers farmers to engage with processors, wholesalers, large retailers, exporters for farm services. Three main political parties in Punjab — Congress, AAP, and Shiromani Akali Dal have united against these bills. BJP`s key ally Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader and Union Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal has quit the Modi government over the passage of the Farm Bills in the lower house.

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(With ANI inputs)