The Delhi Assembly on Thursday witnessed high drama as ruling Aam Aadmi Party MLAs, including Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal tore copies of the three new agricultural laws against which thousands of farmers are protesting at several border points of the national capital city.
As soon as the proceedings during the one-day session of Assembly began, AAP MLAs Mahendra Goyal and Somnath Bharti lodged their protest against the farm laws.
"I refuse to accept these black laws which are against farmers," Goyal said while tearing the copy.
Addressing the session, Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal said, "I want to ask Centre how many sacrifices farmers will have to make, to get their voices heard."
"Every farmer has become Bhagat Singh. The government is saying that they are reaching out to farmers and trying to explain the benefits of Farm Bills. UP CM told farmers that they'll benefit from these bills as their land won't be taken away. Is it a benefit?" Kejriwal said.
"What was the hurry to get farm laws passed in Parliament during pandemic? It has happened for first time that three laws were passed without voting in Rajya Sabha.I hereby tear three farm laws in this assembly and appeal Centre not to become worst than Britishers," Kejriwal said as he tore copies of the legislations.
Incidentally, the Kejriwal government had notified the laws on November 23, after the President's assent.
Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal had earlier described the laws 'anti-farmer' claiming that it will lead to immense inflation and will only favour a few capitalists.
Enacted in September, the three farm laws have been projected by the central government as major reforms in the agriculture sector that will remove the middlemen and allow farmers to sell anywhere in the country.
However, the protesting farmers have expressed apprehension that the new laws would pave the way for eliminating the safety cushion of minimum support price (MSP) and do away with the mandi system, leaving them at the mercy of big corporates.