#BharatBandh: BJP’s farm bills remind one of East India Company’s reign, says Priyanka Gandhi

Supporting the nationwide Bharat Bandh called by farmers’ organisation on Friday to protest against the farm bills, Congress general secretary in charge of Uttar Pradesh, Priyanka Gandhi hit out at the BJP-led NDA government, saying that the bills remind one of East India Company's reign.

“MSP will be snatched and farmers will be enslaved by the billionaires. They will neither get price nor honour. Farmers will become labourers in their own fields,” she said in a Twitter post. “We will not let this injustice (with farmers) happen,” she added.

In another post, she said that the passage of farm bills has changed the meaning of MSP from ‘Minimum Support Price’ to ‘Maximum Support in Profit’ for capitalists. “Where will the farmer go,” she added.

Meanwhile, UP Congress released a video of farmers showing why farmers are on the path of agitation.

Several Congress leaders and activists took to Twitter to extend their support to the call for the bandh. UP Congress Ajay Kumar Lallu warned the BJP government saying that it will not be allowed to play with farmers’ lives.

The Rajya Sabha on Sunday passed the two controversial farm Bills – Farmers Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill and Farmer’s Produce Trade And Commerce Bill 2020.

The two bills aim to ‘reform’ agriculture marketing practices with the abolition of Agriculture Produce Marketing Committees (APMC).

The Farmers Produce Trade and Commerce Bill 2020 will let farmers to sell their produce in open markets, at places apart from their designated APMC. The Farmers Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill allows contract farming to the farmers and an amendment to the Essential Commodities Act is aimed at removing stock limits on farm produce of certain commodities.