TMC member insults Chair, Rajya Sabha gives nod to farm Bills

New Delhi: Both the Houses of Parliament have finally given the crucial nod to the farm Bills aimed at bringing about much delayed reforms in the agriculture sector and which would help farmers sell their produce in the open market.

The Rajya Sabha wrote itself to history while passing the contentious draft laws on September 20 but not before Trinamool Congress put the House of Elders into shame. The vocal member and floor leader Derek O’ Brien tore the Rule Book and insulted Deputy Chairman Harivansh Narayan Singh.

Consequent the development, many people said such conduct was not expected from a well-informed lawmaker.

There was also joke around that Trinamool’s exit from power in West Bengal ‘looked imminent’ as the Trinamool member’s conduct only demonstrated utter frustration.

Derek O’ Brien is a former Quiz Master of repute. And thus another remark went around was- in days to come, youngsters could be quizzed: “Which Trinamool Congress lawmaker tore Rule Book in Rajya Sabha in September 2002?” And the answer would be – a former Quiz Master and Trinamool floor leader Derek- O’ Brien.

BJP president J P Nadda, also a Rajya Sabha member, said – “The irresponsible act of opposition is unfortunate. They violated the protocols, Chairman will take note of it and take action”.

He said the democratic system should function smoothly. “We will request Chairman to take steps for the same”.

The BJP chief said the agrarian Bills are part of the reform strategies and the passing of the concerned draft laws has “liberated the farmers from injustice they were facing for the last 70 years”.

“Opposition parties are anti-farmers. Instead of being part of the process, they tried to obstruct the liberation of farmers,” J.P Nadda said.

Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar also flayed the opposition parties and said the Congress party had gone back on its election manifesto. “Yeh thukna Bhi, chatna Bhi hae (This is like eating your own words and taking back what one gives out. It is very unbecoming),” Tomar told reporters within minutes the high drama in the House.

Earlier, during the debate, several opposition members said the government is trying to convince the opposition and the country something (qualitative values of the farm Bills). However, it could not do so with its member of the cabinet. This was in reference to the resignation of Akali Dal leader and Food Processing Industry Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal.

On September 17 – incidentally, on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s birthday – Ms Badal staged a walkout in Lok Sabha and quit the ministry. The following day, of course, the Prime Minister strongly defended government’s measures and said: “These Bills are like Raksha Kawach (protective shields)….These reforms will give farmers new freedom to sell their products and also give them a series of new ‘vikalps’ alternatives”.

The move to ensure the direct sale of agricultural produces has left middlemen and commission agents irked.

Amid the chaos in the House, the bills were passed by voice vote.

The Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020 and The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill that have already been passed by Lok Sabha.

K C Venugopal (Congress), K K Rajesh (CPI-M), Derek O’Brien (Trinamool) and Trichi Siva (DMK) moved resolutions for sending two bills to a select committee of the House for consideration before they are taken up for passage.

During the debate, Partap Singh Bajwa, who is from protest-hit Punjab, said, “Those whom you want to benefit are on the streets”.

BJP lawmaker Bhupender Yadav said the Congress party was doing politics and misleading farmers.

He wondered why the farmers’ income did not increase in the last 60-70 years even as the country had become self-sufficient in food production.