'All stakeholders were taken into confidence on farm laws,' says Smriti Irani

Sukhmeet Bhasin
Tribune News Service
Bathinda, October 15

BJP leader and Union Textile Minister Smriti Irani on Thursday revealed, that "all stakeholders were taken into confidence on the farm laws" via a virtual interaction.

When The Tribune asked, that "why the government quickly brought the ordinances on this issue without taking the stakeholders, and its oldest allay SAD into confidence", Smriti replied, that "detailed discussions were held with all the stakeholders."

Smriti added, that what was the hurry, several decades in a free country, farmers were not free. It is too late, that we brought about a bill that ensures farmers' rights, protection of farmers', refund, and land.

"Moreover, when the entire global economy was struggling under the impact of a pandemic, and at that time every citizen around 80 crores residents received free rations," said Irani.

She stated, that the government reform agenda continues to ensure, that in the pandemic every citizen is protected and provided relief.

Although, Smriti remained tight-lipped about SAD.

The BJP leader said AICC president Sonia Gandhi and former AICC president Rahul Gandhi were 'missing' from the Lok Sabha when issues related to the farm bills were being discussed.

She lashed out at the Congress party, saying: "Congress party, whose son-in-law has taken lands of the farmers, is now talking about the welfare of the farmers".

Claiming, that Congress party in 2014 has allocated only Rs 21,000 crore for agriculture in the budget, which was raised to Rs 1.34 lakh crore when the Narendra Modi led-BJP government came to power. This clearly, states that who thinks more and better for the farmers. Moreover, even the Prime Minister has taken a 'sankalp' to double the income of the farmers.

The BJP event faced protests from 'Arthiya'.

They were called to interact with the Union Minister, but returned as they refused to talk to the minister, along with the BJP leaders, ad they are against the three bills. 

President of the Federation of Arhtiya, Punjab, Vijay Kalra, said that "they were called by BJP leaders to come here as Union Minister Smriti Irani would interact with, but when the reached they found out that, it is a BJP event, in which she was trying to justify, that the farm bills are for betterment of the farmers, but we were opposing it."

Even, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders staged a protest with black flags, outside the venue, where the virtual interaction with the interaction with the Smriti Irani was going on.

They shouted slogans against the Union government, and BJP over these three farm-related laws. 

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