Union Minister Jitendra Singh on Tuesday accused the opposition parties of taking up “imaginary issues to create a false fear” among farmers and trying to “mislead” them over the new farm reform laws. The irony is that while the common farmers are satisfied and have no apprehension, it is some politically motivated interests which have no knowledge or stake in farming that are attempting to make an issue out of it by trying to mislead the farmers, he alleged.
“It is in the interest of the farming community of India and common people at large, that all like-minded people should come out and vociferously dispel the disinformation and the malicious campaign launched by self-seeking elements,” said Singh, the Minister of State for Personnel. He launched a campaign from his Lok Sabha constituency of Udhampur in Jammu and Kashmir in support of the farm laws brought in by the Narendra Modi government, and against “disinformation being spread by the Congress”.
According to a Personnel Ministry statement, Singh addressed party workers, sarpanches and Block Development Council (BDC) chairmen from the border villages and other areas of Kathua and Udhampur districts. He said the contract agreement, brought in through the new agricultural laws, will be for the crops and not for the land, and alleged that farmers are being misled to believe otherwise.
“Where is the question of farmers’ land being taken over by certain capitalists as is being alleged? The law clearly states that the agreement will be for the crops and not for the land, Singh posed. The minister said the contract agreement with the farmers is to get the fixed price. “Not only this, but the new Act also provides the provision for farmers to withdraw from the contract at any time without any penalty.” Singh accused the opposition of taking up “imaginary issues of contention” which do not find any reference in the laws.
“For example, it is nowhere mentioned that the provision of minimum support price (MSP) will be done away with at any point of time, and yet the Congress and some others are trying to create false fears in the minds of innocent farmers,” he said. Singh appealed to his party colleagues to reach out to every farmer and explain to them “the big conspiracy being hatched”. This, he said, will enable the agricultural community to avail of the enormous welfare initiatives introduced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
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