Chidambaram refutes BJP charge on Cong promise of APMC Act abolition

Aditi Tandon

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Tribune News Service

New Delhi, September 18

A day after the Lok Sabha passed two farm-related ordinances, the Congress refuted BJP’s narrative that the grand old party had itself promised APMC (Agriculture Produce Marketing Committee) Act abolition in its 2019 manifesto.

BJP charge was, to the embarrassment of the Congress, quickly followed up by suspended Congress member and ex-spokesman Sanjay Jha who tweeted, “Folks, in our Congress Manifesto for 2019 Lok Sabha elections, we had ourselves proposed abolition of APMC Act and making agricultural produce free from restrictions. This is what Modi government has done in the farmers bills. BJP and Congress are on the same page here.” Suspended Congressman Sanjay Jha tweet triggered a row within the party hours after the BJP had said the same thing.

Congress veteran P Chidambaram, however, came down heavily against this narrative saying the Congress manifesto promised to create thousands of Farmers’ Markets in small towns and large villages and “once that is accomplished, APMC laws can be changed.”

Chidambaram said the way to liberalise agricultural marketing is to create more accessible markets and choice for the farmer. There will be rules to regulate such markets,” he said, noting that the APMC system is indeed a safety net for the farmer but it is a restricted market that is not accessible to millions of farmers.

“We need to enlarge the market for agriculture produce while preserving the ‘safety net’ principle through MSP and Public Procurement,” said Chidambaram.

Jha, who was the first in early August to warn of a letter bomb in the Congress, also said today, “Opening up the national market for farmers is a sensible move to give greater control over fair to attractive remuneration; less middlemen will boost farmer profitability. Protection against corporate exploitation can be built-in, as an assured MSP. Prima facie, welcome step!“

Earlier, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi accused the BJP of compromising farmers’ interests, and said, “Farmers have lost faith in the Modi government as there has been a difference in their deeds and actions right from the start – demonetisation, wrong GST and heavy tax on diesel. Awakened farmers know – With the Agriculture Bills, the Modi government will increase the trade of its ‘friends’ and will attack the livelihood of farmers,” Gandhi tweeted.

Congress spokesman Rajdeep Surjewala stepped up the offensive by terming the BJP as “Kauravas” and said Congress will stand with “pandavas” in the fight.

Chidambaram, meanwhile, dared the BJP to offer clarity on the Bills and asked “can anyone point out the clause in the Farm Bills that stipulates that the price that the farmer will get from the purchaser “shall not be less than the MSP”?