Delhi: Prime minister Narendra Modi in his address to the nation today announced the repeal of the three contentious farm laws: The Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020, the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill, 2020, and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill, 2020. Â
The Bharatya Janata Party-led NDA government at the Centre had passed the three farm bills during the last monsoon session of the Parliament in September 2020.
Modi in his address to the nation said “I want to apologise to the countrymen; today, on the Parkash Purab of Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji, I am here to tell you that we have decided to repeal the three farm laws”. The prime minister also said, “With your blessings, I never left out anything in my hard work, I assure you that I will now work even harder”.
Supporting the demand of the farmers and peasants to repeal the laws, Manipur Congress leaders and workers had staged protest in Imphal. Former chief minister O Ibobi had termed the three farm laws as “anti-farmers”, and alleged that the bills were passed by force, and without any discussion amid ruckus in Parliament. He had demanded that the laws should be scrapped immediately as it was not passed in the interest of the farmers of the country. “The laws will force the farmers to be dependent and leave them at the mercy of big corporates”, he had observed.
According to ANI tweet, Delhi chief minister said, “This day will be written in golden letters in India’s history like Independence Day, Republic Day. It’s the victory of democracy, not just farmers’. Govt made all efforts to disrupt anti-farm laws protest, called them Khalistani, terrorists, but farmers’ didn’t give up”.
Watch the full address to the nation by Modi.
