Bhupinder Hooda convenes CLP meet to discuss farmers', other issues

Former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda on Sunday called a Congress Legislature Party meeting here on February 3 to discuss the farmers' issue and other matters concerning the state.

He also said that the Congress wants to bring a no-confidence motion against the BJP-JJP government in the next assembly session because the dispensation "has lost the trust of the people as well as some MLAs".

Hooda, who is the leader of opposition in the state, said in a statement that the farmers' agitation against Centre's new farm laws "has become a mass movement..."

The previous CLP held in December had passed a resolution in support of farmers protesting against the Centre's three agricultural laws.

"The people of the state are completely disenchanted with the BJP-JJP government and this is why the motion of no confidence, which will be brought by the Congress during the next assembly session, becomes all the more important. Through the no-confidence motion, the public will know which MLA stands with the government and which MLA is with the farmers," he said.

Hooda said the CLP meeting will consider the demands of the farmers and draw out a strategy to take forward their issues.

Thousands of farmers have been protesting since late November at Delhi's borders with Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, demanding a rollback of the Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020 and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020.

The protesting farmers have expressed apprehension that these laws would pave the way for the dismantling of the minimum support price (MSP) system, leaving them at the "mercy" of big corporations.

However, the government has maintained that the new laws will bring better opportunities to farmers and introduce new technologies in agriculture.