Farm laws designed to give agriculture business to PM Modi's friends: Rahul Gandhi

Wayanad (Kerala) [India], February 22 (ANI): Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday said the three new farm laws passed by the central government are designed to destroy the agriculture business and hand it over to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "friends".
While addressing an event in Wayanad, Gandhi said: "The entire world can see the difficulty faced by Indian farmers, but the government in Delhi is unable to understand the pain of the farmers. We have pop stars who are commenting on the situation of the farmers but the Indian government is not interested. They are not going to take back these three new laws unless they are forced and there is a reason for it."
"The reason is that these three new laws are designed to destroy the agricultural system in India and give the entire business to two or three of Narendra Modi's friends," he added.
Gandhi further remarked that the agriculture business, unlike other businesses, belonged to 'Bharat Maata' and a handful of people want to control this business and do not want it to be controlled by 40 per cent of the Indian population.
"These three laws are designed to allow two or three people to own and control Indian agriculture. In my parliament speech, I had said 'Hum do humaare do' (We two and our two). Two people in the government are partnering with two people outside the government. The idea is very simple, these four people want to own and control agriculture and the farmers should sell their products directly to these people," he said.
"The first law says that the biggest businesses in the country and outside can buy products from farmers, vegetables, fruits and wheat anywhere at any amount, and the farmers will have to buy from the most powerful businesses," Gandhi said, adding that this law will destroy the concept of mandis.
"The second law says that the biggest business in the country can stow as much grain, vegetables, fruit as they want to. This is a direct attack on the Essential Commodities Act. This law is designed to make sure that farmers cannot negotiate for prices," Gandhi further elaborated.
He argued that the third law forbade the farmers to go to court in case of a dispute about the price of commodities, which takes away the legal rights of the farmers.
"That is why we are going to oppose these laws and make sure that the government is forced to take them back," he said.
Prior to the speech, Gandhi held a tractor rally from Thrikkaipetta to Muttil to express solidarity with the protesting farmers.
"We drove a tractor here to make the farmers understand that we are standing with them and make sure that the BJP government takes back these laws," he mentioned.
Farmers have been protesting at the different borders of the national capital since November 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 farm Services Act 2020 and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020. (ANI)