Government should repeal farm laws, end farmers' protest: Former MoS Agriculture Akhilesh Prasad Singh
Dec 14, 2020
By Amit Kumar
New Delhi [India], December 14 : Congress MP and former Minister of State for Agriculture Akhilesh Prasad Singh on Monday said the government should repeal the three farm laws against which farmers have been protesting on Delhi borders.
Singh, who was Minister of State for Agriculture, Food, Public Distribution and Consumer Affairs in the first UPA government, said farmer unions should be called for talks again and the government should go by their opinion.
He said that farmers have serious apprehensions about the three laws and "protest was bound to happen".
The Rajya Sabha MP said the country has been witnessing farmer suicides due to the condition of agriculture sector and there is "sense of fear" among farmers due to the new laws.
"When the bills were passed, we repeatedly said do not pass them, it will harm farmers, they will be agitated. That situation is being witnessed today," Singh said.
He also expressed reservation about some remarks concerning the protest by farmers on Delhi borders.
"It is a fight for the rights of farmers and the government should withdraw these laws," he said.
Farmers have been protesting on different borders of the national capital since November 26 against the three newly enacted farm laws- Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020, and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020.
