Chandigarh: Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Sunday said his government would take the BJP and its allies, including the Akalis, to court over the new unconstitutional, undemocratic and anti-farmer laws of the central government.
He said he would fight till his last breath to protect the farmers’ interests in the state.
We will move the court and fight the draconian legislations as soon as they get the presidential nod and become the law of the land, he said.
Singh expressed shock at the way the BJP-led Union government brute-forced the agriculture Bills through the Rajya Sabha.
The CM questioned the rationale behind putting the controversial and vicious Bills, which, he said, was a blatant encroachment of the state’s powers and control of the agriculture sector, to voice vote, despite strong reservations by the Opposition and inadequate numbers in the House.
Why did the House not go for division of votes on this critical issue, which has even divided the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA), he asked.
He said his government will not allow the central government, of which the SAD shamelessly continues to be a part, to trample the rights and interests of farmers through these cruel legislations designed to destroy the farming community, and Punjab state for which agriculture is its lifeline.
We stand with the farmers and will do whatever it takes to protect their interests, he said in a statement here.
They (BJP and its allies) clearly don’t care for what these laws will do to the farmers, he said, flaying the BJP-led government for selling farmers’ interests to big corporates.
Amid an uproar by the opposition, Rajya Sabha on Sunday passed the Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020, and the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill, 2020.
They were passed by Lok Sabha on Thursday. A third bill is yet to be passed in Rajya Sabha.
Also read: Rajya Sabha passes 2 contentious farm bills amid massive uproar, Modi says ‘watershed moment’
He can’t. It was the APMCs that were unconstitutional and surprisingly no one challenged it in court. APMCs violated Art.19 (1)(g) and wasn’t reasonable restriction under Art.19(6)(ii). And also Art.301 which talks about free trade across India. Not only this, while Agriculture is a state subject, the trade and commerce of food stuffs falls under entry 33 of Concurrent list in the 7th schedule. Hence Parliament law will override any state law in the matter.
Legally, the SC can’t find anything wrong with the law. And it doesn’t intrude into state’s agri policies, it enhances economic rights of the farmer. But yes it robs the commission agents and middle men.