The cancellation of the three contentious farm laws – which took place in parliament today on the first day of the Winter Session -- is the "success of farmers, success of country", Congress's Rahul Gandhi told the media today. He, however, questioned the move to push through the bill in the Lok Sabha in just four minutes without any discussion, saying it indicated that the government was "terrified".
The bill was tabled in the Lok Sabha at 12:06 pm and passed by 12:10 pm.
"We wanted to discuss MSP (issue), we wanted to discuss the Lakhimpur Kheri incident, we wanted to discuss the 700 farmers who died in this agitation and unfortunately that discussion has not been allowed," Rahul Gandhi said.
"It is a reflection of the fact that this government is "terrified" of having these discussions and "wants to hide", he told media shortly after the Farm Laws Repeal Bill was passed by both houses of parliament. The bill is likely to be signed off by the President by tonight.
In the Upper House, the Congress did not, however, have much to say. Congress's leader in the house Mallikarjun Kharge said all parties are agreed on the bill and no one is opposed to it.
The contentious laws were scrapped at the end of a year-long protest by farmers, who held out for complete cancellation despite the government's offer of various other options.
"It took 700 farmer deaths for the Prime Minister to change his mind," Mr Gandhi said today. "The fact is that the Central government could not face the strength of the Indian people represented by farmers in this case. The upcoming state elections must have also played on their mind," he added.
The Congress, which supported the farmers' demand all along, held protest in front of the Gandhi statue in the parliament House complex earlier today, carrying banners that read "We demand repeal of black farm laws."
The BJP mocked the party, pointing out that the protest was "fake" since the farms laws were being scrapped anyway. .
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