PM backs agri laws, says conspiracy afoot to confuse farmers

                

A conspiracy is afoot to confuse farmers over the new agri laws, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday as he made a strong pitch for the legislations amid the protest by cultivators outside Delhi which entered the 20th day.

Describing the new farm laws as historic, the PM said his government was ready to remove any doubts about the legislations enacted in September.

Without taking names, Modi, on a day-long visit to Gujarat, said opposition parties who are supporting the protest, when in power, were in favour of similar reforms in the agriculture sector.

To buttress his point, Modi gave the example of two sectors in Gujarat, his home state, which flourished without government intervention.

He said dairy and fisheries sectors in the state grew exponentially without much intervention of the state government as the business is mainly handled by co-operative sector leaders and farmers.

“In other parts of the country too, milk producers and the co-operative sector have created a successful supply chain. Similarly, governments do not have any significant control on the trade of fruits and vegetables.

“I am giving these examples because a conspiracy is afoot to confuse farmers who have gathered near Delhi at present,” said the PM.

He was speaking at a function here after performing virtual stone laying ceremonies for three projects in Kutch district – a hybrid renewable energy park, a desalination plant and a milk processing and packing unit.

He accused the opposition of using “farmers’ shoulders to fire their guns”. “I am confident that progressive farmers will defeat those who are doing politics, spreading falsehood and using farmers’ shoulders to fire their guns,” the PM said..