BJP-Congress must discuss farm bills for people's interest: Deve Gowda

"Having come from a farming background it is my feeling too that these bills have to be revisited," Deve Gowda said

 

New Delhi [India], September 23 (ANI): Parliament can not be run on emotions and both the national parties -- BJP and Congress -- should realise that there is a larger interest of farming sector people, which needs to be addressed urgently, said HD Deve Gowda, Former Prime Minister on Wednesday.

In an exclusive interview with ANI, the Janata Dal (Secular) Rajya Sabha MP from Karnataka said, "Both the national parties should come to an understanding to run the house and solve the problems of the farming sector."

Deve Gowda suggested to the Prime Minister Narendra Modi that "a permanent National Commission be set up to address the grievances of farmers and solve the disputes arising out of their various interaction with the government and agriculture markets."

"I will write to Prime Minister Modi about setting up the Commission and will personally follow it up with him. Prime Minister should not be in hurry to implement these bills because there are widespread ramifications. It is not as Prime Minister thinks that these bills will eliminate middleman, in fact, it will create more intermediaries," he said.

While commenting upon the resignation of Lok Sabha MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal from the Cabinet, Deve Gowda said, "The fact that PM's own cabinet colleague resignation indicates the magnitude of the problem as seen by an ordinary farmer, having come from a farming background it is my feeling too that these bills have to be revisited."

On September 17, Harsimrat had resigned from the Union Cabinet, displaying her opposition to the three Bills.

The parliament recently passed Farmers' and Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020 and Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill, 2020 and The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill,2020.