Ravi Shankar slams Opposition’s duplicity over farm laws, cites Pawar’s letter & Cong 2019 manifesto

New Delhi: Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on Monday tore into Congress and other opposition parties for their ‘utter duplicity’ over farm laws.
Attacking the Opposition, the Union Minister said that some political parties have adopted practice of questioning Modi government for the sake of ‘opposition’.

“In many previous incidents, they have participated mainly for purpose of saving their political existence,” the Union Minister said.

Addressing a press conference on issue of farmers’ protest, Prasad said “Opposition parties are opposing the Narendra Modi government for the sake of opposition, forgetting their own work in the past. In its 2019 poll manifesto, Congress promised to repeal APMC Act and make the trade of agriculture produce including export free from all restrictions.”

English version of Congress Party’s 2019 Election Manifesto promised repeal of APMC Act & make agri-trade free from all restrictions.
Hindi version of Congress Party’s 2019 Election Manifesto promised amendments in APMC Act & making trade free from all restrictions. pic.twitter.com/HB57LnVSqE

— Ravi Shankar Prasad (@rsprasad) December 7, 2020

“Opposition parties have jumped into the issue of new farm laws. During UPA rule, they did exactly what the Modi government is doing today for reforms in the farm sector. Now that they’re losing polls, they take part in any protest for the sake of their existence,” he said.

‘Cong keen on joining any protest against Modi govt’

Targeting the Congress, Prasad said that “Despite the farmers union’s request against the entry of political parties in the protest, the Congress kept trying to become a part of the agitation. All of this just to get a chance to oppose the Modi government.”

“…not only on the issue of farmers’ protest but they are keen to join every kind of protest be it anti-CAA protests or Shaheen Bagh. Forgetting their own work in the past, the opposition is indulging in such tactics,” the BJP leader said.

Referring to the Congress the manifesto of 2019, BJP leader said, “Congress promised to repeal the Agriculture Produce Market Committee act and make the trade-in agriculture and produce including export and interstate trade free from all restriction.”

As the Agriculture Minister of India Sharad Pawar had written to Chief Ministers strongly advocating for greater participation of private sector in agriculture sector and need for making suitable regulatory and policy changes for that. pic.twitter.com/2JuIufu6em

— Ravi Shankar Prasad (@rsprasad) December 7, 2020

Minister calls out Sharad Pawar’s U-turn

Further accusing NCP chief Sharad Pawar of taking a u-turn on agriculture reforms, the Union Minister said that “Pawar is also opposing the new farm laws. But when he was the Agriculture Minister, he wrote to all Chief Minister for ‘private sector participation’ in market infrastructure.”

“I am giving you proper documentary evidence to show the utter duplicity of the opposition of parties,” he added.

Furthermore, he also made reference to Samajwadi Party supremo Akhilesh Yadav and Shiromani Akali Dal, and activist Yogendra Yadav for supporting reforms in the agriculture sector on various points.

Meanwhile, a nationwide shutdown has been called by the protesting farmers on December 8.

Opposition parties, including Congress, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), SAD, BSP, Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS), Communist Party of India (Marxist), Communist Party of India, Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist), Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP), Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), Samajwadi Party (SP), All India Forward Bloc (AIFB), Shiv Sena and National Congress Party (NCP) have supported the call for ‘Bharat bandh’.