Parliament passes bill to repeal three controversial farm laws

The Lok Sabha has already passed the bill and it will now be taken for Presidential assent.

Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar moved the bill in the Upper House and it was passed within minutes without any discussion.

Leader of Opposition in the House, Mallikarjun Kharge, said the government is repealing the farm laws keeping in mind its implications in the upcoming Assembly elections.

While moving the bill for consideration of the House, Tomar said the government had brought the three farm laws in the interest of the farmers, but decided to cancel them as they could not make the ryots understand the benefits, despite best efforts to do so.

Tomar took on the Opposition Congress, saying that it had maintained double standards, given that farm sector reforms had formed part of the party's election manifesto.

"The Treasury bench has come forward to repeal the farm laws. Opposition also wants the same. The bill, therefore, can be taken up for passing and there is no need for any discussion," Tomar said.

Earlier this month, Modi apologised to the nation and said he will take back the agricultural reforms, which he, as the Prime Minister said, failed to make a section of farmers understand.

However, the protesting farmers are in no mood to call off their agitation as they demand the legalisation of Minimum Support Price (MSP) by the government after the repeal of the laws.

"We can call off protests only after the government agrees to all our demands," a farmer said.

The new laws would have allowed farmers to sell their produce beyond government-regulated wholesale markets but the protesting farmers fear they would be left at the mercy of the private players.