'Posterbazi' on other issues aimed at diluting farmers' agitation: Tomar
Dec 11, 2020
New Delhi [India], December 11 : Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar on Friday said that farmer unions have accountability not to allow their protest to be "distracted" and "posterbaazi" on other issues is aimed at "diluting" their agitation.
The minister also said that government had said in parliament that minimum support price (MSP) mechanism will continue and had clearly conveyed its intentions.
"I don't want to say anything on this matter, but I do want to urge farmer unions that the government is talking to farmers and their leaders over their demands. Their agitation should not be distracted, this is their accountability," Tomar said when asked if there were some powers not allowing the issues to be resolved between farmer unions and centre.
The minister referred to a photograph in a Hindi daily accompanying a news item which said that the posters concerning accused in Delhi riots cases had appeared in the farmers agitation.
"What does it show? The demand of farmers can be related to Minimum Support Price (MSP), Agricultural produce market committee (APMC) Act, but can the demand of farmers be this? If this is the demand, this 'posterbazi' is happening, then I want to tell farmer union leaders that they should avoid this. This is an action to dilute their agitation," he added.
Referring to demands concerning MSP, he said the mechanism will continue.
"Prime Minister Narendra Modi had spoken about this and I had assured on the floor of both the Houses. If it's being said in Parliament, it is a recorded document. It expresses the intention of government. There can be no document more powerful than that. MSP will continue. No one should doubt it," he said.
Hundreds of farmers are protesting on 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. They are demanding repeal of the three laws.
They have rejected Centre's proposals to make amendments to the laws and said that they would intensify their agitation by blocking railway tracks.
