"Brutalisation of farmers must stop": Congress MP demands special Parliament session to bring law on MSP
Feb 23, 2024
New Delhi [India], February 23 : Amid the standoff between the protesting farmers and the police forces, Congress Lok Sabha MP Manish Tewari on Friday said that the Centre should convene a special session of Parliament to bring legislation on the minimum support price (MSP) for crops, a key demand of protesting farmers.
Tewari, an MP from Punjab's Anandpur Sahib, while speaking to ANI hit out at the central government, saying that it has been now three years since it promised to make law the MSP, but failed.
"In 2021, when the four black farm laws were withdrawn by the government, there was a commitment made to the farmers, that a law would be brought on MSP. It has been three years since then, and no law has been brought. I demand a special session of the Parliament be summoned immediately and a law guaranteeing the MSP to farmers on crops across the board should be passed," Tewari said.
He further said that the Punjab government should give the status of 'Shaheed' to Shubhkaran Singh who died of an injury to the back of his neck while protesting at Khanauri border on Wednesday, prompting farm leaders to suspend talks with the Centre.
"Those who ordered the firing on farmers which has resulted in the unfortunate death of a young boy from Bathinda, who was only exercising his right to protest...The Punjab government should give the status of 'Shaheed' to him..." he said.
Earlier in the day, Tewari, in a post on X said that the 'brutalisation' of farmers must stop as soon as possible.
"This brutalisation of Farmers must stop ASAP. Barricades, Bullets, batons are not the answer & certainly not the wanton killings of innocent young farmers protesting for their legitimate demands is not the way a civilised state should deal with its citizens," he said.
Tewari further said, "Article 19 of the Constitution of India in addition to providing for the Freedom of Speech & Expression includes the right to assemble peacefully without arms. Implicit in this Constitutional Guarantee is the Right to dissent, Protest & even offend. It also includes the right to travel freely throughout the territory of India. This distinguishes a democracy from an authoritarian state."
To press the Centre to accept their demands, including a legal guarantee for minimum support price (MSP) for crops and farm debt waiver, the farmers have been camping at the border points since February 13 along with their tractor-trolleys, mini-vans and pickup trucks.
However, during the last round of talks, which ended past midnight on Februrary 18, the panel of three Union ministers had proposed buying five crops -- moong dal, urad dal, tur dal, maize and cotton -- from farmers at MSP for five years through central agencies.
