Centre is setting up East India Company: NCP on new farm, labour laws

The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) on Thursday hit out at the Centre over the passage of farm sector and labour reform bills, accusing it of being a "government of capitalists".The bills were passed in a hurried manner, said NCP spokesperson Mahesh Tapase.

"The Centre has again proved it is a government of capitalists and not of common people," he said.

The BJP government is in a way setting up an East India Company in the country by diluting farm and labour laws and protecting capitalists,he added.The farm sector laws do not clearly mention minimum support prices and that is why the farmers in northern states are protesting against these reforms, Tapase said.

"The NCP is completely with farmers. (NCP chief Sharad) Pawar himself has said so," he added.

On labour reforms, the NCP spokesperson said the Union government was bringing in the "hire and fire" work culture of the West.Talking about Bihar Director General of Police Gupteshwar Pandey opting for voluntary retirement, Tapase said the Election Commission and Department of Personnel and Training should make a two-year cooling off period compulsory before former officials can join politics.

Pandey was under attack from Maharashtra politicians for seeking CBI probe in actor Sushant Singh Rajput's death.

"Such officials can join politics after their cooling-off period is over," Tapase said.

He also demanded that the Centre disburse to Maharashtra its Goods and Services Tax share of Rs 22,000 crore.Parliament passed Farmers Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill and Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill last week.On Wednesday it approved three key labour reform bills. 

(Image Credits:Twitter/maheshtapase)