BackNew farm laws will destroy India's food security system, hurt rural economy: Rahul Gandhi in Lok Sabha
Citing the call of 'hum do, humare do', the Congress leader said that the laws will only benefit select corporates at the expense of farmers
PremiumTaking a jibe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi's remarks on farm laws in Parliament, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday said that the new reforms will not only ruin farmers but finish the middlemen and have a "devastating effect" on small shopkeepers and businessmen.
"Intent of the first law is to give one friend, the right to have all crops of India. Who will be at loss? 'Thelawalas', small businessmen and those working in the mandis. The intent of the second law is to help the second friend. He keeps 40% of India's crops in his storage," said Gandhi in Lok Sabha.
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Citing the call of "hum do, humare do", the Congress leader said that the laws will only benefit select corporates at the expense of farmers.
"There was a slogan for family planning 'hum do hamare do'. Like corona comes back in a different form, this slogan has come back in a different form. The nation is run by four people. Everyone knows their names," he said.
After the PM called the farm laws "optional" on Wednesday, Gandhi said that the reforms only offer three options to farmers. "Yes, you gave three options -- hunger, unemployment and suicide," said Gandhi.
The Congress leader also responded to PM Modi's remarks about the opposition not elucidating the contentions with the laws.
Keeping up with the sharp takedowns, Rahul Gandhi said that the first law says that one can have unlimited purchase of foodgrains, fruits and vegetables anywhere in the country. "If the purchase is unlimited anywhere in the country, then who would go to mandis? The content of the first law is to finish the mandis," he said.
Speaking about the second law, Gandhi said: "The content of the second law is that big businessmen can store as much food grains, fruits and vegetables as they want. They can hoard as much as they want. Content of the second law is to end the Essential Commodities Act. It is, to start unlimited hoarding in India."
He added that the third farm law will take away the farmers' right to go to the court if they aren't being paid the right price for their produce by big businesses.
PM Narendra Modi had on Wednesday said that the laws were brought through ordinances and after due discussions in Parliament. Attacking the opposition, he said: "All the sloganeering and protests are a pre-planned strategy to prevent the truth from coming out."
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