Patiala: Members of various farmers organizations block Sangrur road during a protest against the central government over agriculture-related ordinances, in Patiala, Saturday, Sept. 19, 2020.
Amid the massive uproar in parliament, the Rajya Sabha on Sunday passed the contentious Farmers’ and Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020 and Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill, 2020 by voice vote. Meanwhile, protests by Haryana farmers are underway and they have decided to block all roads, including highways, from 12 noon to 3 pm.
Several leaders from the opposition have expressed their concerns over farmers. Former prime minister H D Deve Gowda told Rajya Sabha: "As a farmer, I am really concerned with issues related to the farm bills. The entire house, all of us are concerned about farmers. Farmers are the backbone of the country. The prime minister should explain why there's a hurry to pass the bills amid the pandemic. He should explain what would farm bills do for the farming community in the short and long term and how it will help in achieving the government's goal of doubling farmers' income."
However, Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar said: "MSPs won't be touched at any cost. Not just these bills, many steps have been taken to double farmers' income in the past six years. There is no need to doubt that farmers will continue to get MSP."
Harsimrat Kaur Badal, the food processing minister from the Shiromani Akali Dal party, resigned from the government last week as a protest against this Farm Bill.
