Government lists farm law repeal on House agenda on November 29

Prime Minister skips all-party meeting; Opposition demands MSP law.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on November 28 skipped the customary all-party meeting, convened by Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi, a day before the start of the winter session of Parliament that will take up the repeal of the three farm laws.

The government listed the Farm Laws Repeal Bill, 2021, in the Lok Sabha’s list of business for November 29 but no time for debate has been allotted as yet since the Business Advisory Committee (BAC) will take place only on November 29 morning.

In the explanatory note to the Repeal Bill, the government justified the farm laws and said only “a group of farmers” were protesting but added, “As we celebrate the 75th Year of Independence ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’, the need of the hour is to take everyone together on the path of inclusive growth and development”.

In the explanatory note to the Repeal Bill, the government justified the farm laws and said only “a group of farmers” were protesting but added, “As we celebrate the 75th Year of Independence ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’, the need of the hour is to take everyone together on the path of inclusive growth and development”.

Price rise, Pegasus

Earlier in the day, at the government’s all party meet, Opposition leaders raised a host of issues issues including a new law to guarantee of minimum support price (MSP), discussion on price rise, unemployment and the Pegasus snooping controversy among others.

Several Opposition leaders also demanded the dismissal of the Minister of State for Home Affairs, Ajay Mishra ‘Teni’, whose son is an accused in the Lakhimpur Kheri violence.

The government was represented by Deputy Leader of the Lok Sabha and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, and Leader of the House in the Rajya Sabha Piyush Goyal, besides Mr. Joshi.

“The Opposition leaders raised 15-20 issues during the meeting and urged the government to take immediate action on the farmers’ issue, a new law for MSP and the electricity issue. Also, there was a discussion on a possible third wave of COVID and I demand that the government corrects the death figures and offers ₹4 lakh as compensation to all the victims…We expected that the Prime Minister would attend the meeting and answer our issues. But, the PM did not come to the meeting,” Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge told reporters after the meeting.

The Parliamentary Affairs Minister said 42 leaders from 31 parties participated in a constructive discussion and reiterated that “there is no tradition of the Prime Minister attending the all-party meeting”.

“The govt is ready for any discussions permitted by the Chairman and the Speaker without disruptions,” he said.

Other issues that were raised included compensation for over 700 farners who died during the year-long protests, alleged Chinese incursion, COVID-19 preparedness and past mismanagement, high fuel prices, state of the economy and the extension of the Border Security Force’s jurisdiction in border States.

Trinamool Congress (TMC) leaders Derek O'Brien and Sudip Bandyopadhyay raised around 10 issues at the meeting which included bringing the Women’s Reservation, the federal structure being “weakened”, discussion on COVID, increasing BSF’s powers in border States like Bengal apart from the others common issues..

Aam Admi Party (AAP) leader, Sanjay Singh, said he had walked out after being interrupted while speaking on the need for new law on MSP but government sources claimed he left only after finishing his speech.

Among the prominent Opposition leaders who attended were Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury and Anand Sharma (Congress) T.R. Baalu and Tiruchi Siva (DMK), Sharad Pawar (NCP), Vinayak Raut (Shiv Sena), Ramgopal Yadav (Samajwadi Party), Satish Mishra (BSP), and Prasanna Acharya (Biju Janata Dal).