As he went on a day-long fast to express his solidarity with the eight suspended Rajya sabha members, NCP chief Sharad Pawar on Tuesday debunked the hurried manner in which the BJP-led government had agriculture reform bills passed in the upper house of Parliament without discussion and vote.
Talking to media persons here, Pawar said: “I have never seen bills being passed like this. They (the BJP-led NDA government) wanted to pass these bills soon. Members had questions regarding the bill and they wanted a discussion,” Generally, the members are allowed to speak, deliberate and oppose the bills.
I didn’t understand the haste in this particular matter,” he said, adding the basic concern was about mentioning the protection of minimum support price (MSP) in the bills.
“Now the government has clarified that such a protection mechanism is there,” Pawar said.
Denying reports that his party supported the BJP by walking out of the house when the bills were put to voice votes, Pawar said: “The information isn’t true. Our members protested and walked out when the Deputy Chairman rushed through the bills. In the Lok Sabha, (NCP MP) Supriya Sule has spoken against the bills. In fact, my assessment of the Deputy Chairman, who is a disciple of (a great socialist leader) Karpuri Thakur, is proved wrong today. His conduct was unprecedented. I haven’t seen such a thing in my 50-year Parliamentary career. That’s why I have observed a fast today to support the MPs”.
On Shiv Sena’s on the bills passed in Rajya Sabha, Pawar asked: “But haven’t they opposed it in the Rajya Sabha?”
The NCP chief said his party would formally announce its support to the nation-wide agitation by several parties and farmers’ organisations.