The BJP on Monday sought to punch holes in the Opposition for their support for the farmers' agitation against the controversial agriculture laws, saying they were jumping into the protest as they were getting a chance to oppose the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Union Law Minister and senior BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad told a press conference that the Congress and other Opposition parties themselves had initiated similar reforms in the farm sector but were now merely opposing the Modi government for the sake of opposing.
Prasad was fielded to counter the Opposition a day before the Bharat Bandh called by the farmers' organisations on Tuesday. Around 18 non-BJP parties have pledged support to the Bharat Bandh call given by the farmers' organisations.
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He said the Opposition parties have jumped into the agitation but during the UPA government, they did exactly what Modi govt is doing now.
"Some farmers organisations have raised some concerns about the new farm laws and the government is holding discussions with them. Farmers have made it clear that politicians will not be allowed in their agitation. We respect that. But suddenly all non-BJP parties have jumped in," Prasad said.
"Today, when the political existence of the Congress is challenged and they are losing time and again in elections whether it is Lok Sabha, Assembly or municipal elections, they are joining any Opposition movement to save itself from extinction and remain relevant," he said.
Claiming that he was exposing the "shameless double standards" of the Opposition parties, he said the Congress has clearly stated in its election manifesto in the 2019 election that they will abolish the Agriculture Produce Market Act and free the farmers from all restrictions on the export and trade of their crops.
When NCP chief Sharad Pawar was the Agriculture Minister in the UPA government, Prasad said, he wrote a letter to all the Chief Ministers saying that a change in laws was needed and that private sector entry was necessary while farmers getting an opportunity to sell their crops anywhere. Pawar had signed a joint statement of 11 top Opposition leaders, including Congress chief Sonia Gandhi and CPI(M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury, supporting the Bharat Bandh call.
"The work that we are doing today, Manmohan Singh's government was doing. In 2005, Pawar was saying this. At that time, Pawar was saying that if you do not improve, we will stop giving financial support. At that time, the SP, RJD, CPI and other parties were supporting the Manmohan Singh government," Prasad said.