NE NEWS SERVICE
CHENNAI, SEPT 3
A day after Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K Palaniswami’s poser on what’s wrong with farm bills passed by Parliament, DMK chief M K Stalin on Wednesday said ryots were protesting as there was no mention of minimum support price (MSP) in the legislations and asked him to spell out the reasons for supporting the Centre’s move.
Taking a swipe at Palaniswami who said he was doing farming even today and was proud to call himself a farmer, Stalin said “a person who calls himself a farmer will not support the bills that are totally against them.”
மத்திய பாஜக அரசின் விவசாய விரோதச் சட்டங்களால் ஏற்படும் பாதிப்புகளைப் பட்டியலிட்டு திமுக விவசாய அணி கேள்விகளை எழுப்பியுள்ளது.
'எல்லாம் எனக்குத் தெரியும்' என்ற ஆணவத்துடன் பேசும் @CMOTamilNadu-விடம் அவற்றுக்கு பதில் இருக்கிறதா?
நாடே எதிர்க்கும் சட்டத்தை அடிபணிந்து ஆதரிப்பதேன்? pic.twitter.com/jhjaZflBwr
— M.K.Stalin (@mkstalin) September 23, 2020
Stalin, the Leader of the Opposition in the state assembly, asked the chief minister to respond to the charges of the farmers of various states protesting against the “anti- farmers” bills. The farmers in several states are protesting against the three bills, which the Centre claims will open up the tightly-controlled agriculture sector to free-market forces.
Hitting out at the DMK, Palaniswami had said “If Stalin can explain what is wrong in these provisions it will be good. Farmers will not be affected, these benefit them and that is why we have supported.”
In a release here, Stalin said: “Everywhere the farmers are demanding Minimum Support Price (MSP) for their produce. After backing the BJP in both the houses of Parliament on the bills which have no mention of the MSP, the chief minister speaks in support of the anti-farmer bills.
“Is he really a farmer (as he claims) or feigns to be a farmer,” he asked, referring to Palainiswami’s remarks that he was a farmer and he took pride in calling himself so. Wondering what made Palaniswami to ask his AIADMK to support the Centre on the issue, Stalin asked the chief minister to find out if words like MSP figure in the bills.
“If he cant, then will he apologise to the farmers with folded hands?” he asked. On Palaniswami saying he (Stalin) did not know anything about agriculture, the DMK leader said there was no need for one to be a farmer to review the bills and comment. “Basic knowledge on agriculture and concern for the farmers” welfare will suffice to express the views,” he said.
Palaniswami has “no moral right” to claim to be a farmer as there had been corruption everywhere, including in the PM Kisan scheme, he alleged. The AIADMK has supported the Farmers” Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill 2020, The Farmers’ (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill 2020 and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill 2020 and Palaniswami has said these would benefit farmers.
Stalin always oppose BJP schemes, accuses L. Murugan
DMK president M K Stalin always has the habit of opposing schemes of the BJP government and his announcement of protesting against the Centre’s farm bills on September 28 is no exception,
Tamil Nadu BJP Chief L Murugan said here on Wednesday. Being a farmer himself, he knew about the benefits that the legislations would accrue to the farming community, he said and asserted that the bills would address the woes of the farmers.
“Being a farmer, I know the difficulties of ryots. Farmers have always been insisting upon a remunerative price for their produce. The farm bills seek to address their livelihood concerns,” Murugan told reporters here.
Asked about the DMK and its allies” state-wide protest on September 28 to demand the Centre to withdraw the farm bills and to condemn the AIADMK government for supporting the legislation, he said, “Stalin always has the habit of opposing the schemes of the BJP government.” “…and his (September 28) protest against the agri- related bills is no exception.” he added.
Asked whether the likely release of V K Sasikala, aide of late Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa and convicted in the disproportionate assets case, from a Bengaluru jail next January will impact Tamil Nadu politics, Murugan replied, “let her come out first. We will see (then).” On his meeting with Tamil Nadu Governor Banwarilal Purohit earlier in the day, he said it was a mere “courtesy call” to enquire about his health and there was nothing political about it.