‘Return Farm Bills to Parliament’: Ghulam Nabi Azad to Prez Kovind

The passage of farm bills in Parliament is unconstitutional, Ghulam Nabi Azad said after meeting President Kovind.

(Photo Courtesy: Twitter/@rashtrapatibhvn) 

Congress MP and Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, Ghulam Nabi Azad, met President Ram Nath Kovind at the Rashtrapati Bhavan on Wednesday, 23 September, over the controversial farm bills that have been cleared in Parliament.

"Opposition parties have requested President Ram Nath Kovind to return the farm bills... Their passage (is) unconstitutional," Azad was quoted as saying after the meeting, adding that the Centre should have consulted all parties and farmer leaders before bringing the contentious bills.

“There was no division of votes, no voice voting. Constitution was undermined in the temple of democracy. We have given a representation to President that farmers bills have been passed unconstitutionally and he should return these bills.”

Ghulam Nabi Azad, Congress Leader

Opposition Boycott Over Farm Bills and MPs’ Suspension

His meeting came a day after Opposition parties boycotted Parliament over the passage of the bills and the suspension of eight MPs for protesting against the same.

Earlier on Tuesday, speaking outside Parliament, Azad had said, “We’ll boycott the Parliament session until the government accepts our three demands – government to bring another bill under which no private player can purchase below MSP, MSP to be fixed under formula recommended by Swaminathan Commission and agencies like FCI shouldn’t buy crops below MSP.”

Eight Rajya Sabha members, including TMC’s Derek O’Brien and AAP’s Sanjay Singh, were suspended from the Upper House on Monday, a day after chaos erupted in the Upper House during the passage of two of the three farm bills.

After their suspension, the eight MPs refused to leave and spent the night on the Parliament lawns, where they staged a sit-in protest with placards that read, 'We will fight for farmers' and 'Parliament assassinated'. They ended their sit-in the next day when the call for boycott by Opposition parties was announced.

While the government has hailed them as "historic" reforms, the three farm bills have prompted protests by the Opposition as well as farm leaders in may parts of the country.

The passage of the bills in the Lok Sabha last week also led to the resignation of Akali Dal's Harsimrat Kaur Badal from the Union Cabinet.