P Chidambaram welcomed the Supreme Court's intervention in the farm law issue.
The NITI Aayog's alleged rejection of a Right to Information Act (RTI) query on the deliberations held with Chief Ministers till September 2019 over new farm laws today led Congress leader P Chidambaram to remark that the government's move was strange. The contentious agricultural legislation, passed by Parliament around a year after the consultations ended, have brought thousands of farmers to camp in and around Delhi in protest by now.
The NITI Ayog gave its report based on the deliberations in September 2019 itself, although it was not submitted to the body's governing council, the former Finance Minister tweeted.
The RTI query, allegedly rejected by NITI Aayog, was filed by activist Anjali Bhardwaj, according to Mr Chidambaram.
"NITI Aayog's Committee of Chief Ministers on Agriculture concluded its deliberations in September 2019 and gave its report After 16 months, the report has not yet been 'presented' to NITI Aayog's governing council! Why, nobody knows and nobody will answer!" he tweeted.
"Citing this as the reason, the RTI request of Ms Anjali Bhardwaj for a copy of the report has been rejected! Alice would have said 'curiouser and curiouser' I salute Ms Anjali Bhardwaj for her tenacity and single-minded pursuit of information," the Congress leader said.
Mr Chidambaram had criticised the Central government for its stand on protestors agitating against new farm laws. Last week, the Supreme Court put on hold the three contentious laws against which the farmers have been protesting for over 50 days now.
He welcomed the intervention saying, "The concern expressed by the Supreme Court over the farmer's protest is justified."