Haryana DyCM Dushyant Chautala hits out at Punjab CM; accuses him of cheating farmers

On Thursday, Haryana Deputy Chief Minister Dushyant Chautala accused Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh of cheating farmers of Punjab by passing agriculture bills in the state assembly. In a special session of the Punjab Assembly, all the legislators on Tuesday unanimously cleared three bills to negate the impact of the farm laws passed by the Parliament. 

Speaking to reporters, Chautala suggested Punjab government bring a law for crops produced at large level by farmers and urged the CM to not cheat farmers.

"I request Punjab Chief Minister not to cheat farmers. If they've to bring a law, then they should've brought it for crops produced at large level by farmers, which sell at a lower rate than minimum support price (MSP) in the market," Chautala said.

READ: Punjab CM Amarinder moves three bills in Punjab Assembly to counter Centre's Farm Laws

Earlier on Wednesday, a war of words had erupted between Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal and Amarinder Singh. Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh accused SAD and AAP of adopting brazen double standards over the bills passed by the state assembly to counter the Centre's farm laws.

Responding to Punjab CM's tweet, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal took a jibe at the former for amending the Centre's law and further questioned that how will it benefit the farmers. Further terming the laws to be 'false and fake', Kejriwal accused Punjab CM of fooling the public.

READ: Punjab CM Amarinder Singh says 'President can't ignore farmers' will' amid passage of bill

Centre on Punjab's passage of bills negating the farm laws

Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar on Tuesday said the Centre will "thoroughly examine" the bills passed by the Punjab Assembly whenever they are sent to the Centre and take a decision in farmers' interest.

I learnt that the Punjab government has passed bills related to the agriculture reform bill already passed by the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. I am confident that the decisions that we have taken in the interest of farmers cannot be compared with anything. But in democracy, the Assembly (too) has the power to take such decisions," Tomar told PTI.

READ: Punjab CM hits out at double Standards of SAD & AAP; Kejriwal highlights 'false laws'

Punjab Assembly passes Bills against farm laws

In a special session of the Punjab Assembly, all the legislators on Tuesday unanimously cleared three bills to negate the impact of the farm laws passed by the Parliament. The Farmers Produce Trade & Commerce Promotion & Facilitation (Punjab Amendment) Bill, 2020 ensures that wheat or paddy cannot be purchased except for a price equal to or greater than the Minimum Support Price. Anyone buying below the MSP shall be imprisoned for three years.

The second bill- The Essential Commodities (Special Provision & Punjab Amendment) Bill, 2020 seeks to protect consumers from hoarding and black marketing of agriculture produce. On the other hand, The Farmers Agreement on Price Assurance & Farm Services(Punjab Amendment) Bill, 2020 provides that no sale or purchase of wheat and paddy under a farming agreement shall take place below the MSP. Besides this, another bill was cleared to ensure that the land of farmers up to 2.5 acres cannot be attached in any recovery proceedings.

READ: Punjab CM urges Prez for assent to bill blocking Centre's Farm laws; warns of legal action

(With Inputs from agencies)