Dilip Ghosh downplays West Bengal Assembly's anti-farm laws resolution; takes dig at TMC

West Bengal BJP president Dilip Ghosh on Friday downplayed the resolution passed by the state Assembly seeking the repeal of the farm laws passed by the Parliament. According to him, this initiative would make no difference similar to the outcome of the previous resolutions passed against the Citizenship Amendment Act and demonetisation. Taking a dig at TMC, Ghosh contended that the Mamata Banerjee-led party's appeal was limited to the West Bengal Assembly.

Speaking on the floor of the state Assembly a day earlier, WB Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee appealed to the other opposition parties to back the farmers protesting against the agrarian laws. She called upon Prime Minister Narendra Modi to immediately call a meeting of all Chief Ministers to discuss the farm legislation. Moreover, the TMC supremo made it clear that the Centre's purported attempt to brand agitating farmers as "terrorists" or "Khalistanis" in the wake of the Republic Day violence shall not be accepted. 

Read: Violent Clash At Delhi's Singhu Border; Farmers-locals Scuffle, Intervening Cops Attacked

Read: Congress Wants Tradition Of President's Address Over; AAP & RLD Create Ruckus Mid-speech

What are the farm laws?

The Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020 aims at freeing the farmers from the constraints of the state Agriculture Produce Market Committees whereby they would be able to sell their produce anywhere. Meanwhile, The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020 protects and empowers farmers to engage with processors, wholesalers, large retailers, exporters for farm services. This entails the provision of contract farming. 

The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020 specifies that the supply of foodstuffs including cereals, pulses, potato, edible oilseeds, and oils shall be regulated only under exceptional circumstances. TMC was one of the opposition parties who had petitioned President Ram Nath Kovind to not give assent to the farm bills after they were cleared in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. In the past, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Punjab, Puducherry, Kerala and Delhi have also passed resolutions calling upon the Centre to withdraw the farm laws. Earlier in the day, the Mamata Banerjee-led party boycotted the President's Address to both Houses of the Parliament in solidarity with the protesting farmers. 

Read: Delhi Farmer Protest LIVE Updates: Farmers Clash With Cops At Singhu; Alipur SHO Injured