'Protest tourism': Hardeep Puri points out Rahul's Gandhi's 'cushioned sofa' on tractor

Amid the row over the farm reform laws where Congress is holding protests marches across demanding the rollback of the laws, Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri has taken a swipe at Congress calling their protest a politically motivated one. Puri took to Twitter to state that the protest by Congress is a mere 'Protest Tourism' to misguide the farmers. He posted a picture from the Congress protest where Rahul Gandhi can be seen sitting on a customised 'Cushioned sofa' on a tractor.

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Congress protests against farm laws

Congress on Sunday launched a three-day 'Kheti Bachao Yatra' with Rahul Gandhi addressing the crowd on multiple occasions. On Monday slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi by alleging that the Prime Minister was finishing "farmers and labourers" with the three farms laws just like he destroyed small shopkeepers with the demonetisation and GST. However, he also acknowledged there were shortfalls in the previous agriculture laws. Rahul Gandhi also alleged that Narendra Modi has brought the law to benefit the industrialists and not the common farmers.

“There is a need to strengthen this system. More Mandis need to be set up. There is a need to guarantee MSP. There is need to give infrastructure to farmers. There is a need to set up silos,” he said.

“Narendra Modi is not doing this. Modi is not strengthening the system. If Modi gives better PDS and guarantees MSP and gives more Mandis, then Ambani and Adani cannot make money,” the Congress leader alleged.

Even Congress President Sonia Gandhi had also advised Congress-ruled states (Punjab, Chhatisgarh and Rajasthan) to explore ways to refuse the implementation of the new agriculture laws.

Centre's assurances

This protests by Congress comes even as the Centre on multiple occasions has assured that the new reform laws will not affect the MSP mechanism and the Mandi system will continue to exist. the new reform laws will only free the farmers from being compulsively dependant on Mandis to sell their produce as farmers will be able to sell outside of Mandis.

Centre has contended that the new laws will give the farmers freedom to sell their produce outside of the Mandis as against the earlier compulsion to sell only through Mandis, which led to corruption and less revenue to farmers. The farmers will also have the option to sell through Mandis if they wish too.

What are the farm laws?

The Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020 aims at freeing the farmers from the constraints of the state Agriculture Produce Market Committees whereby they would be able to sell their produce anywhere. Meanwhile, The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020 protects and empowers farmers to engage with processors, wholesalers, large retailers, exporters for farm services. This entails the provision of contract farming. On the other hand, The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020 specifies that the supply of foodstuffs including cereals, pulses, potato, edible oilseeds, and oils shall be regulated only under exceptional circumstances.

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