Stunted Cong misleading farmers: Agri minister

September 24, 2020 10:17

The Congress leadership has become stunted, it does not understand agriculture and the party is trying to mislead farmers for its own vested interests, said Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar.

In an exclusive interview with ANI, Tomar launched a strong attack on Congress over its opposition to agriculture bills and said the opposition party does not listen to good people within and its leadership is in hands those who are not heard by people.

"Main samajhta hoon ki Congress natritav bauna ho gaya hai (I feel Congress leadership has become stunted)," Tomar said.

"Neither do they understand agriculture nor the good or bad of the country. The good people in Congress are not being heard and the leadership of the party is in the hands of those to whom people do not listen, even inside the party. That is why they are trying to mislead the country by saying this and that," Tomar said.

He said Congress leaders were trying to mislead the farmers, because they feel that the work which they could not do for years under the UPA is being done now.

"They could have done it, but they couldn't gather courage," he said.

Tomar said that former prime minister Manmohan Singh and former agriculture minister Sharad Pawar wanted to bring reforms but could not do so under pressure.

"Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar wanted to do it, they wanted to, but under pressure from some people they could not do it," he said.

The Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020 and the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill, 2020 were passed by Parliament on Sunday. There was protest and ruckus by Opposition members in the Rajya Sabha during the passage of the bills.

A third bill related to agriculture, which amends the Essential Commodities Act, was also passed by Parliament during the monsoon session which concluded on Wednesday. The three bills seek to replace ordinances brought by the government earlier.

Tomar said Congress "is irrelevant now, it is trying to rejuvenate itself but the people have rejected them and they will reject it again on this issue".

The Opposition parties, including the Congress have been demanding that the government should roll back the farm reform bills.

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