Published 20:43 IST, December 25th 2020
Gehlot rejects PM's charge against opposition, claims 'Centre blocking state's farm bills'
Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot on Friday rejected Prime Minister Narendra Modi's charge that the opposition is misguiding the farmers over the three agrarian laws.
Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot on Friday rejected Prime Minister Narendra Modi's charge that the opposition is misguiding the farmers over the three agrarian laws. Alleging that the Union government had no sympathy for farmers protesting on the streets for a month, he contended that the reputation of the leadership was at stake. Terming the protest as "spontaneous", Gehlot mentioned that it is aimed at stopping the impending destruction for the farmers.
Moreover, the senior Congress leader lamented that the Rajasthan Governor was not acting on the bills passed in the state Assembly to negate the impact of the farm laws. He was referring to the passage of Essential Commodities (Special Provisions and Rajasthan Amendment) Bill, 2020, Farmers’ (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services (Rajasthan Amendment) Bill, 2020 and Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation and Rajasthan Amendment) Bill, 2020 on November 2. Additionally, Gehlot claimed that there is no real democracy in the country at the moment.
PM Modi allays concerns over farm laws
Earlier in the day, PM Modi released the installment of PM-KISAN worth over Rs.18,000 crore to 9 crore farmer families via video conferencing. On this occasion, he lashed out at the Mamata Banerjee-led government for the non-implementation of the PM-KISAN scheme in West Bengal. He accused the state government of harming the interest of the farmers in the process of settling political scores with the Centre. During the address, PM Modi explained the significance of the new farm laws.
Reiterating that the Minimum Support Price and the APMC system will continue, he lashed out at the opposition for spreading misconceptions among the farmers. Citing that APMCs don't exist in Kerala, he also slammed the Left Front government for opposing the agrarian laws. Extending an olive branch to the protesting farmers, the PM asserted that the Centre was ready to talk as long as the discussion is based on facts.
Updated 20:43 IST, December 25th 2020