Government working for farmers' interest, new laws will help them.
As farmer union called Bharat Bandh on December 8 in a bid to pressurise the government over the new farm laws, India TV spoke exclusively to Union Minister Law & Justice, Communications, Electronics & Information Technology, Ravi Shankar Prasad and discussed the concerns of farmers, why are they protesting, about the new farm laws and what's the stand of the government. The Union Minister said that the government is fully concerned about farmers' interests. The Centre will continue to engage with them and make them understand that these laws are for their benefit. Prasad said the laws will help farmers to sell their produce outside the Mandi system, and assured that this will not end the Mandi system or either affect the MSP.
Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad Exclusive | Highlights
- Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said that the opposition is using the issue to play politics.
- Refering to opposition parties as losers, Prasad said they are jumping anywhere and everywhere to save their political interests.
- Hitting out at Rahul Gandhi, Ravi Shankar Prasad asked where was he when the Congress party mentioned about repealing Mandi system in their manifesto during Lok Sabha election.
- The Congress party had talked about removing fruits and vegetables from out of the Mandi system during one of their meetings with Congress-ruled states CMs.
- Speaking on NCP chief Sharad Pawar, Prasad said he too have talked about impropving the Mandi system.
- The Union Minister mentioned about National e-agriculture market portal to which 1.5 crore farmers, 1,000 mandis across 21 states are registered and also did over 1.25 crore business.
- Ravi Shankar Prasad once again assured that MSP will continue.
- He also informed the government helped farmers in Bihar's Muzaffarpur who are selling their produce in London while Tripura farmers are doing business in Dubai, other countries.
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- The Union Minister assured farmers that their land will not be sold, leased or mortgaged.
- Speaking about the new laws, Ravi Shankar Prasad said the government is not ending the Mandi system but instead providing an option to farmers that Mandi will not be the only place where they will be able to sell their produce.
- Lashing out anti-social elements trying to gain from the protests, Prasad said they will not let tukde-tukde type gangs to overtake and will act against such elements.
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Watch the full interview
