Kejriwal appeals to all non-BJP parties to unite in RS to oppose farm bills

New Delhi, Sep. 18 (PTI): Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal appealed to all non-BJP parties on Friday to unite in the Rajya Sabha and oppose three bills that he claimed would leave farmers in the hands of big companies for exploitation.

In a tweet in Hindi, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief asked the non-BJP parties to ensure that all of their members are present in the House and that they do not stage a walkout “drama”.

“All three bills of the Centre will leave farmers in the hands of big companies for exploitation. I request all the non-BJP parties to unite in the Rajya Sabha and oppose these bills, make sure all your MPs are present and do not stage a walkout drama. Farmers all over the country are watching you,” he said.

The Centre introduced the Farmers’ Produce Trade And Commerce (Promotion And Facilitation) Bill, the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill in Parliament on Monday to replace ordinances promulgated earlier.

These bills seek to provide a barrier-free trade for farmers’ produce outside the notified farm mandis (wholesale markets) and empower farmers to enter into farming agreements with private players prior to production for the sale of their produce.