New Delhi: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday alleged that the new farm laws brought by the government will lead to "collapse of mandi system, allow unlimited hoarding and prevent aggrieved farmers from moving courts". Participating in the discussion on the union budget in Lok Sabha here, Gandhi said he was speaking on the "content and intent" of three farm laws to which Prime Minister Narendra Modi had referred in his speech on Wednesday.
"Yesterday while addressing the House, PM said that the Opposition is talking about the agitation but not about the content and intent of Farm Laws. I thought I should make him happy today and speak on the content and intent of the laws," he said. Gandhi alleged that the first law "was aimed at finishing the mandis".
"The content of the second law is that big businessmen can store as much food grains, fruits and vegetables as they want. They can hoard as much as they want. Content of the second law is to end the Essential Commodities Act. It is, to start unlimited hoarding in India," he said.
"The content of the third law is that when a farmer goes before the biggest businessman of India to demand the right price for his crops, he will not be allowed to go to the Court," he added. He alleged that the new farm laws will lead to "bhookh, berozgaari and aatma hatya" (starvation, unemployment and suicides).
Farmers have been protesting on the different borders of the national capital since November 26 last year against the three newly enacted farm laws: Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020; the Farmers Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and farm Services Act 2020 and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020.
With inputs from agencies
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