New Delhi: Despite the uproar and large-scale protests by farmers, President Ram Nath Kovind on Sunday gave his assent to all the three contentious farm bills. The government has notified them.
The Farmer’s Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020, and the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill, 2020 have been passed in both the Houses of Parliament.
President gives his assent to the three #FarmBills :
▪️Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020
▪️Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill, 2020
▪️Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill 2020 pic.twitter.com/PmjG4jNopC— All India Radio News (@airnewsalerts) September 27, 2020
More than a dozen opposition parties had urged President Kovind not to sign the contentious bills, alleging that they were passed “unconstitutionally” in “complete disregard” of parliamentary norms.
The three farm bills were in the Parliament in this Monsoon Session amid huge ruckus by the opposition. The Congress-led opposition targeted the central government over the bills and said that they would “kill the farmers and make them a commodity”. The opposition also claimed that the government is trying to do away the minimum support price (MSP) with the farm bills.
Congress MP and Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad said that the bills had been passed in an unconstitutional manner. “There was no division of votes, no voice voting,” he said. “Constitutional procedures were flouted in the temple of democracy.”
