Shirom Akali Dal vice president Prem Singh Chandumajra on Saturday met Trinamool Congress leaders in Kolkata over farm laws and said that the ongoing agitation is not just about farmers but also a fight against the unitary system (of governance).
Trinamool Congress is supporting farmers' call for a nation-wide Bandh on December 8 by holding Dharna in Kolkata on 8,9 and 10 December.
"It is not just about Minimum Support Price (MSP) but also about federalism. The country has been pushing through the unitary system. We want that States rights should not be grabbed. Agriculture sector is a state subject, in this new law they said that you (State) can't levy tax on agriculture products. We don't agree with this and neither does the TMC," said Chandumajra.
"Famers' livelihood is totally dependent on farms. Suddenly enacting laws in Lok Sabha over the issue we think is not right. One can pass the law in brute majoritarism. But as the pain of farmers while enacting the bills was not considered, the agitation against the laws was started. The TMC support the demand to reconsider the bills," said Sudip Bandyopadhyay.
Chairman of Parliament standing committee on Food, Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution, Bandyopadhyay said that "Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is in support of farmers agitation against the farm laws."
Chandumajra said, "The agitation started from Punjab but now it is an international protest including Canada, The Prime Minister of Canada (Justin Trudeau) has also supported the agitation and now political parties should also support the agitation."
"Prem Singh Chandumajra led a delegation from Punjab to West Bengal on Saturday. They met the leader of the Trinamool Congress Parliamentary Party in Lok Sabha Sudip Bandyopadhyay and leader of the Trinamool Congress Parliamentary Party in Rajya Sabha Derek O'Brien at Trinamool Bhavan where they had a 45-minute long discussion. The discussion revolved around their concerns regarding the three farm bills and the path forward for the withdrawal of the same," the press release said.
"The All India Trinamool Congress expressed solidarity with the protesting farmers and also shared their experience of standing beside farmers and fighting for their rights led by Mamata Banerjee in the past. Derek O'Brien also shared his experience of yesterday's meeting with farmers protesting at the Delhi-Haryana border," said the press release.
The Akali Dal leader is reaching out to political parties across the nation who are in support of farmers against the newly enacted laws, the SAD vice president said.
( With inputs from ANI )
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