Opposition to boycott Rajya Sabha till it's 3 demands on farm bills met

While addressing media outside the Parliament, Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad said that opposition parties will boycott Parliament session until Government accepts their three demands on farm bills. He made an appeal to the Speaker to revoke the suspension of eight Rajya Sabha MPs.

New Delhi: Congress' Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha, Ghulam Nabi Azad, on Tuesday, informed that the opposition parties will boycott the proceedings of Rajya Sabha till it's three demands on farm bills are met. He made an appeal to the Speaker to revoke the suspension of eight Rajya Sabha MPs.

While addressing media outside the Parliament, Ghulam Nabi Azad said, "We have made three conditions before Rajya Sabha on farm bills. We'll boycott Parliament session until Government accepts our demands."

"We had also written a letter to the President yesterday appealing him to disapprove the bill so that some amendments can be made in these bills," he further added.

Azad, while speaking after the Zero Hour, demanded that the Government should bring another bill which can ensure that corporates as well as Government agencies like Food Corporation of India (FCI), won't procure the food grains or other crops below the minimum support price (MSP) fixed by the Government. Along with this, he also asked the Government to fix the MSP on the basis of recommendations given in MS Swaminathan Committee report.

Attacking the Government on the issue of MSP, the Congress MP said, "Government had announced MSP, yesterday, which means that there is no coordination between the Union Minister and his Government. If they wanted to bring in MSP then they should've mentioned it when they tabled these bills in Parliament."

The Opposition Parties which will boycott the Rajya Sabha session are Congress, SP, BSP, NCP, DMK, TMC, TRS, AAP and RJD.

Azad also mentioned that they haven't boycotted the session over the suspension of MPs while condemning the stormy debate occurred in Rajya Sabha. However, he also appealed to the Speaker of Rajya Sabha to revoke the suspension.

"We haven't boycotted the session because of the suspension of MPs. We only made a request to the Speaker and it's not a condition, to revoke the suspension of MPs as there were many reasons why they had done such kind of protest. We are not in favour of breaking the mic and raising slogans while standing over a table but this Government was trying to bulldoze the bills due to which all this happened," Ghulam Nabi Azad said.

He also praised deputy speaker of Rajya Sabha for bringing tea for the protesting MPs, saying, "It was a very good gesture on his behalf. I want to praise him. After all, we are like one family. Even if we belong to different parties, but we should conduct these Parliament proceedings like a family."