"18 Opposition Parties Write to President Kovind, Urge Him to Reject Farm Bills After Parliament Row"

 

At least 18 opposition parties on Monday wrote to President Ram Nath Kovind regarding the way the contentious farm bills were passed, or what they called “total murder of democracy” as Rajya Sabha suspended eight parliamentarians for the rest of Monsoon Session 2020. The leaders urged the President not to grant his assent to the proposed legislations.

The memorandum was signed by political parties including the Congress, the Left, NCP, DMK, Samajwadi Party, Shiv Sena, JDS, TMC, as well as RJD, among others, as they sought President Kovind’ intervention into the farmer agitation and asked him not to approve the bills.

“We, belonging to diverse political parties cutting across India’s political and geographical spectrum, bring this representation to you to respectfully draw your urgent attention to the absolute and total murder of democracy, ironically in the most hallowed temple of democracy, parliament,” read the letter to President Kovind. 

“We pray that you return the bills and do not append your signature,” it added.

In a dramatic turn of events, eight members – distributed among the Congress, CPI (M), Trinamool Congress and the AAP – were suspended earlier in the day for the remainder of the Parliament session over their “unruly behaviour” during the passage of farm Bills in the Upper House.

Notably, the Farmer’s Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020, and the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill, 2020 have been passed by voice vote in both Houses of the Parliament amid huge uproar by farmers in Punjab and Haryana. While the Opposition has been protesting unprecedentedly against the ordinances, the Centre has dubbed them as the biggest reform in agriculture.