The Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar has reacted to the controversy erupted over letters written by him (when he was the agriculture minister in the UPA dispensation) to then Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit and Madhya Pradesh CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan asking chief ministers to amend the Agricultural Produce Marketing Committee (APMC) Act in their states to allow the private sector to play an important role in the field.
I had said that APMC needs some reforms. APMC Act should continue but with reforms. There is no doubt that I had written the letter. But their (BJP) three Acts does not even mention APMC. BJP is just trying to divert the attention. No need to give importance, said Pawar.
He further said that 5-6 people from different political parties are going to sit, discuss and take a collective stand...We have a 5 pm appointment tomorrow with the President Ram Nath Kovind. We will present our collective stand before him.
Farmer unions on Friday decided to intensify their agitation against the farm laws calling for 'Bharat Bandh' today stating that they were not satisfied with amendments to the agricultural legislations being proposed by the government.