In the wake of the Supreme Court judgment, the main opposition Congress on Monday said the Prime Minister should apologise not only to the families of 65 farmers who have sacrificed themselves, but to 62 crore farmers and announce to repeal the three “Black” agri- laws. The party said the country has never in the 73 years history seen such an “arrogant and insensitive” government even as the Supreme Court expressed its anguish and disappointment over repeated failure of talks with farmers unions.
Speaking with the media persons here, Congress General Secretary, Randeep Singh Surjewala said India’s farmers have been agitating now for over 46 days braving incessant rain bitter cold winter but the government is not able to find a solution while 65 farmers lost their lives.
Never in the 73 years history of this country would a Government like the current one led by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi would have been exposed in this fashion for its arrogance, for its intemperate behavior and for its insensitivity towards 62 crore of India’s farmers, he added.
Commenting on today’s court ruling, congress leader said even the Supreme Court expressed its anguish and its disappointment over repeated failure of talks and the failure of the Government in being able to find a solution.
On a question: why do you feel that this fight cannot be settled in the Supreme Court? Surjewala quipped, “In our democracy, the executive is supreme in terms of framing of laws and the Hon’ble High Courts and the Supreme Court are supreme in interpretation and looking at the validity of the laws”.
He further pointed out that the Supreme Court has not ordered the constitution of any committee so far, so why should he comment upon an order that has not been passed by the Court as yet.
And adding that there is a committee higher than the high powered committee constituted by the Government of the Minister’s committee?
“They have already spoken in 8 rounds to the farmers, but, the attitude of the Government is that they will not repeal the black laws”.
On being asked that the BJP is holding 700 press conferences, 700 Chaupals to reach out to farmers? He said the e fraudulent acts of BJP and its leaders attempting to dupe and deceive India’s farmers will not work as the Indian farmers, irrespective of region, religion, caste or creed have come together to fight for their survival.
“It is not a Congress Vs BJP fight. It is not a Press Conference oriented fight, it is a livelihood fight. The issue is even bigger than that and that is the issue of survival of the farming sector per se and the lives and livelihoods of the farmers and these fraudulent press conferences in order to dupe and deceive and to create an atmosphere through media will not work at all”.
Farmer has understood that this Government is subservient to the handful of crony capitalists and wants to sell off the 25 lakh crore agri- commodities trade to 4 or 5 people, so that then they can dupe and deceive all 130 crore people of this country at their whims and fancy, he added.
“So, we call upon the Prime Minister to come forward, to shed the crony capitalists for whom he has enacted these three black laws and to stand with India’s farmers to understand their anguish and suffering and to immediately announce repeal of the three black laws,” the Congress leader said.