Centre says failed to explain benefits of farm laws, while opposition feels repeal decision aimed at polls

Following PM Narendra Modi's decision to repeal the farm laws on the occasion of Gurupurab on Friday, the Centre said it had failed to explain their benefits to farmers while opposition leaders said it was aimed at the assembly elections.

Many leaders from the political mainstream hailed the Prime Minister's decision, but a few questioned the timing of the decision.

Today, Union Home Affairs Minister Amit Shah in a tweet lauded the timing of the decision. He wrote, "What is unique about PM Narendra Modi ji's announcement is that he picked the special day of Guru Purab to make this announcement. It also shows there is no other thought except the welfare of each and every Indian for him. He has shown remarkable statesmanship."

This comes on Guru Nanak Jayanti, also known as Guru Purab. It is celebrated by the Sikhs to observe the birth anniversary of their first guru.

Many political parties hailed the decision of the government but alleged that the BJP feared losing the 2022 Assembly polls scheduled in five states including Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Goa and Manipur. Among these states, farmers from Punjab and Uttar Pradesh were protesting across Delhi's borders for the past one year.

Further, on the political front, on October 30, former Punjab chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh held talks for seat-sharing with Bharatiya Janata Party for the upcoming Punjab Assembly polls.

Singh on Friday said that nothing could be bigger than repealing the three farm laws and apologizing to the farmers on the occasion of Prakash Parv by Prime Minister Narendra Modi today.

"On Prakash Parv PM Modi took the decision to repeal the three Farm Laws and apologized to the farmers. There can be nothing bigger than this. I'm thankful to Prime Minister and Home Minister for this. Nobody can do anything more than this," Singh toldon being asked about PM's statement that he brought farm laws for the welfare of the nation.

However, opposition leaders like RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav, Communist Party of India (Marxist) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury, Congress leader also said that the decision has been taken in view of the upcoming Assembly polls.

"What will happen to the 700-750 farmers who died in the farmers' agitation so far? The government has taken this step in view of the elections to be held in five crucial assembly states," Yadav said.

Yechury said, "This decision will impact the vote bank in Western UP, Punjab....but it will not give any electoral benefits to BJP as farmers will not forget the hardships they have faced during last one year."

Addressing a media in Lucknow, the Congress general secretary said that the government can see in the surveys that the situation is not right so that they have come to apologise before polls.

"Why is he doing this? Is the nation not understanding that polls are approaching and they might've felt that situation isn't right. They can see in surveys that the situation is not right. So, they have come to apologise before polls," said Priyanka.

The announcement comes exactly one week before the enactment of farm laws would have completed one year on November 26.

Further, this news pours in just before the Winter Session of the Parliament is likely to commence on November 29. The previous Monsoon Session was continuously disrupted due to the protests by the Opposition in both Houses of Parliament.

Earlier, on September 30, the Supreme Court took a view of the continued blockade of highways in Delhi-NCR due to farmers protests against the three agriculture laws and said that this can not be a perpetual problem. A Bench headed by Justice said that the redressal of the issue can be through the judicial forum, agitation or parliamentary debates and asked how can highways be blocked.

The Bench had said, "Redressal can be through a judicial forum, agitation or parliamentary debates but how can highways be blocked and this cannot be a perpetual problem. Where does it end?" The Bench was hearing a plea of a woman resident of Noida seeking direction to ensure that the road between Noida to Delhi is kept clear so that the passage is not affected. The apex court also said that implementation of the law is the duty of the executive and the Court has no means to implement it.

Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar said that Prime Minister's intention was to bring revolutionary changes in the lives of farmers but the government failed to explain the benefits of the central farm laws to some farmers of the nation.

"Prime Minister Narendra Modi had tried to bring changes in agriculture with these reforms. But due to some situations, some farmers objected. When we took path of discussions and tried to explain to them, we could not succeed," he told ANI.

In a major move, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday announced the repealing of the three Central farm laws.

Farmers have been protesting against the government's three farm laws since they were passed by the Centre in 2020.

The three farm laws are as follows: The Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act provides for setting up a mechanism allowing the farmers to sell their farm produces outside the Agriculture Produce Market Committees (APMCs). Any licence-holder trader can buy the produce from the farmers at mutually agreed prices. This trade of farm produces will be free of mandi tax imposed by the state governments.

The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Act allows farmers to do contract farming and market their produces freely. The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act is an amendment to the existing Essential Commodities Act.

( With inputs from ANI )

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