Center should hold discussions with farmers instead of criticising opposition: Nawab Malik

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], August 7, (ANI): Maharashtra Cabinet Minister and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Nawab Malik on Saturday accused the Centre of not holding any discussions with the farmers on the farm laws, who have been protesting at the national borders since November last year.
"We have never seen such kind of autocratic behaviour by any government. The Modi government clears the Bills without any discussion," he said alleging the centre of passing the Bills in Parliament without any discussion.
Days after Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar took a dig at the protesting Opposition party members over farmers issue, Nawab Malik told ANI, "The Central government did not care to speak with farmers on the farm laws for the past 8-9 months, now it is alleging that the opposition parties are protesting in the Monsoon session of Parliament for the sake of publicity."
Emphasising that the Opposition is ready to discuss the farmers' issue only if the central government is in favour of bringing the farm laws in a new form.
Malik, who is the minister of minority development in the Maharashtra government, said, "the government should repeal the current three farm laws, bring it in a new form and then the opposition parties will be ready to discuss."
"The government passed more than 20 bills in less than 21 minutes without any discussion," he added.
Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar slammed the Opposition alleging that they want to be in the media's limelight.

"If the Opposition is really concerned about farmers, then govt is ready to discuss the issues in both Houses. Why is the opposition not ready to talk? This shows they just want to be in the media's limelight," Tomar told reporters.

The opposition parties have been forcing adjournments in both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha over their twin demands including repeal of three farm laws and probe into the allegations of surveillance.
The two Houses have been witnessing protests from the Opposition since the start of the monsoon session on July 19.

Farmers have been protesting on different borders on the National Capital since November 26 last year against the three newly enacted farm laws: Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020; The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farms Services Act 2020 and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020. (ANI)