Min missing, Pjb farmers boycott meet on new farm laws
New Delhi: Farmers' organisations from Punjab on Wednesday boycotted a meeting called by the Union Agriculture ministry to resolve their concerns over new farm laws and accused the government of playing double standards with no minister present to hear them out.
Representatives from 29 farmers' organisations, including Joginder Singh-led Bharati Kissan Union, were miffed at the absence of Agriculture minister Narendra Singh Tomar and Minister of State for Agriculture in the meeting.
The meeting was convened at the Krishi Bhavan amid police security to avoid any protest. After the meeting, agitated farmers' representatives were seen shouting slogans and tearing copies of new farm laws outside Krishi Bhavan.
More than 30 representatives, who had come in a bus, were mostly senior citizens but had not even worn face masks despite the COVID-19 pandemic.
"No proper discussion took place. Neither Union Agriculture minister nor junior ministers were present to hear our concerns. We asked why the minister is not meeting us, why the government is playing double standards by calling us here and ministers holding virtual meetings in Punjab. There was no proper response," Darshan Pal, member of the coordination committee of 29 farmers' organisations, said after the meeting.
Since there was no response from Agriculture Secretary Sanjay Agrawal, who was chairing the meeting, farmers' organisations decided to boycott the meeting, he said.
"BJP leaders are holding virtual meetings in Punjab and talking against us. We are called to Delhi and no minister wants to listen to us," Pal, who also heads the Krantikari Kisan Union Punjab, added.
Meanwhile, the Punjab government has decided to convene a special session of the state Assembly on October 19 to bring in a legislation to counter the Centre's farm laws. A decision to this effect was taken at a meeting of the state Cabinet chaired by Chief Minister Amarinder Singh in Chandigarh.