Ruling partners of the Maha Vikas Aghadi government, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and Congress in Maharashtra have extended their support to the Bharat Bandh call given on December 8 by various farmer organisations to press their demand to repeal the three central government farm laws. State NCP chief Jayant Patil said that the central government has passed three farm laws by imposing various provisions against the interest of farmers.
He has appealed to the party members to participate in the Bharat Bandh and express solidarity with the agitating farmers while condemning the three farm laws. Patil, however, has urged them to follow COVID-19 protocols.
On the other hand, state Congress chief Balasaheb Thorat said public opinion from across the country has consolidated against the three agriculture laws brought by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government at the Centre. Lakhs of farmers are protesting in Delhi to press for their demands to repeal these laws. The United Farmers' Front has called for a Bharat Bandh on December 8, as despite rounds of talks with the government, nothing seems to be coming out from it.
“The Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee supports the farmers' call for a Bharat Bandh. The party members have been urged to participate in large numbers,” said Thorat. “The Congress party has always stood firmly along with the farmers in their battle. The party is also of the view that these “black” laws should be repealed in the interest of the farmers,” noted Thorat. He recalled the Congress party has launched a nationwide agitation against this law.
The Congress party had organised the statewide agitation to protest against three farm laws and collected more than 60 lakh signatures from the farmers. It has also pressed for the Maharashtra government to bring in a new law that would ensure minimum support price by traders, failing which the traders will face punitive action.
