The Delhi Legislative Assembly today passed a resolution seeking the withdrawal of the three controversial farm laws introduced by the Central government that has led to months of agitation by a large section of India's farmers.
The Assembly, overwhelmingly dominated by the Aam Admi Party (AAP) -- the Arvind Kejriwal-led outfit has 62 members while the rest of the total 70 are from the BJP -- backed the resolution tabled by the ruling party's Tilak Nagar MLA Jarnail Singh.
It criticised the Centre for not agreeing to the farmers' demand to withdraw the laws "despite their peaceful protests". It also asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government to talk to the protesters and solve their problems.
The AAP, which is looking to make inroads into Punjab, a state that goes to polls early next year, has vociferously backed the farmers' agitation.
"These laws are like a death warrant for farmers. If these laws are implemented, farming will go into the hands of a few corporates," Delhi Chief Minister Kejriwal had said in February.
A large number of farmers, mostly from Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh have been protesting at various border points of the national capital since November last year.
Their primary demand is the repeal of the three farm laws: Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020; the Farmers Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and farm Services Act 2020 and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020.
In December 2020, however, the Delhi government notified one of them -- the Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Ordinance, 2020. AAP justified this saying it will allow farmers to sell their crop anywhere, including outside mandis.
Earlier this month, the Delhi Cabinet rejected the city police's proposal to set up a panel of lawyers to fight cases related to the farmers' protest.
The Delhi Chief Minister's Office had then said: "The Centre is putting pressure on the (Arvind) Kejriwal government for replacing the lawyers of the state with its own to fight the cases against the accused farmers protesting against the farm laws."
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