Good response to farm laws, protests only in Punjab, claims Prakash Javadekar

Union minister Prakash Javadekar on Saturday said that the recently-enacted farm laws have received an "overwhelming response" from the farming community and there were no protests in any part of the country over these legislations except Punjab.

He also alleged that there were political interests of parties like Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), Congress and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) behind the protests in Punjab.

Javadekar was addressing a group of farmers in Chorao village of North Goa as a part of the ruling BJP's initiative to create awareness about the farm laws.

"There is no agitation against the farm laws anywhere in India except Punjab. You should not hold agitations as a part of political agenda," the Environment Minister said in his brief address to farmers.

"These laws have received an overwhelming response from the farming community across the country," he claimed.

"The Narendra Modi government aims to give justice to each and every farmer, who were denied their dues in the past," he said.

Javadekar said that the party leaders were holding smaller meetings across the country on the issue as large public gatherings are not allowed due to the pandemic.

He also accused NCP chief and former Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar of failing to implement the Swaminathan Committee report, which had several recommendations in favour of farmers.

"I had raised the issue of Swaminathan Committee recommendations in the Rajya Sabha when Pawar was agriculture minister. But they failed to implement the committee report," he said.