New Delhi: The Delhi Legislative Assembly passed a resolution against the three new farm laws in the Special Session held on Thursday. The AAP-led government has been supporting the protesting agrarians at Delhi's borders with Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal tearing up copies of the farm bills during the Special Session.
While addressing the session he urged the centre "not to become worse than Britishers" who took nine months to repeal their laws due to the farmers' movement in 1907. He also questioned the hurry of the Centre to pass the anti-farm laws amidst the ongoing pandemic.
While tearing the farm laws Kejriwal said that he cannot betray the farmers and the soldiers of the country. He said that more than 20 farmers have lost their lives since the sit-in protests started and asked the Centre how many lives it will take before they repeal the laws.
The CM alleged that the BJP has been spending enormous amounts of money on the elections for the last six to seven years and that the new laws are not meant for the farmers but for the electoral funding of the BJP.
He said that when BJP leaders are questioned about the benefits of the farm laws they say that a farmer can sell his produce anywhere in the country which is highly misleading.
The CM further said that the attorneys of the Centre said in court that the Delhi government's attorneys are acting as farmers' attorneys. "I want to tell the Central government that they should also be the lawyers of the farmers and not of the middlemen," he said.
Kejriwal supported the resolution tabled in the assembly. "I am in pain while I tear these three farm laws, as I did not intend to do this. But today, when a farmer of the country is sleeping on the road in 2 degrees C temperature, I cannot betray the jawans and kisaans of my country. I am a citizen of this country first, a chief minister later. This assembly rejects the three laws and appeals to the central government to meet the demands of farmers," he said.
The CM said that he honours the martyrdom of Baba Ram Singh who died by suicide as he was troubled by the ongoing agitation. "The letter that they wrote depicted their plight and anguish, he wrote that he was not able to bear the pain of the farmers. He came to the Singhu border daily and brought jackets and quilts for the farmers," he said. The CM also highlighted that it has been 20 days since the protest started and 20 farmers have lost their life which suggests that each day a farmer is lost due to the agitation.
Kejriwal said that the MSP of wheat is Rs 1,868, and the same wheat is being sold for Rs 900-1,000 in UP and Bihar. "In which state across the whole country should the farmers from UP and Bihar sell their produce, so that they get the MSP due on wheat?" he asked.
Each of the AAP MLAs spoke against the cruelty and utter uselessness of the laws till the assembly session was adjourned for the day and has been scheduled to continue on Friday when the members are expected to focus on the Rs 2,500 crore scam in the civic bodies, as alleged by the AAP.
MPs Mahendra Goyal and Somnath Bharti also tore up copies of the bills that were passed by the Centre in September. However, the Delhi government was one of the first states/UTs to notify one of the three contentious laws, following which it was attacked by opposition parties here.
Meanwhile, reacting to CM's actions in the Assembly, BJP MP Manoj Tiwari said, "Kejriwal has committed an unconstitutional act by tearing up the farmer bill. He is an expert in tukde-tukde."