Opposition parties in Rajya Sabha to raise demand for sending agriculture bills to select committee

By Ashoke Raj
New Delhi [India], September 19 (ANI): Three agriculture-related bills, which have passed been passed Lok Sabha, are slated to be taken up for passage in Rajya Sabha on Sunday.
Almost all opposition parties are demanding that the bills should be sent to select committee of the House.
"The agriculture-related bills are anti-farmer. We are opposing them and will oppose them strongly in Rajya Sabha on Sunday," a Congress Rajya Sabha MP told ANI.
All India Trinamool Congress (AITMC) Rajya Sabha MP Derek O'Brien said TMC will oppose the bills in Rajya Sabha.
BJP has issued a three-line whip to all of its Rajya Sabha MPs to be present in the House on Sunday. "Agriculture bills are for the benefit of farmers and they will pass from Rajya Sabha also," a BJP Rajya Sabha MP said.
Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) has said that the party will oppose the agriculture bills in the Rajya Sabha.
"Farmers and farming related bills introduced by Centre in Parliament would do a lot of injustice to farm sector in country. The Chief Minister has said these bills are nothing but a sugar-coated pill and should be opposed at all costs," said TRS leader K Keshav Rao.
The ruling party BJP has total 86 members in Rajya Sabha, Congress has 40, TMC 13, Samajwadi Party 8, TRS 7, BJD 9, JDU 5, AIADMK 9, DMK 7 and RJD 5. Out of 245 members in the Upper House, two seats are vacant.
The House is slated to take up Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020, The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill, 2020 and The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill, 2020.
ANI)