Shortly after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the scrapping of three farm laws, reaction started pouring in. While the Opposition parties, led by the Congress, termed this as victory for farmers and defeat for "arrogant" government, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders called the decision a step towards the welfare of the farmers.
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The three laws were passed by Parliament in September last year and triggered protests by farmers, who sat on the borders of Delhi demanding the repeal of the laws. They called the three laws as pro-corporate.
Hailing the “historic” decision, Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath said the government must have failed to properly explain the benefits of the three laws and said the Prime Minister gave a fine example of resolving the dispute in a democracy. Uttar Pradesh is among those states where elections are due next year and the decision is being seen as the BJP's bid to subside the stirrings in the farmer belt.
"All the farmers should welcome this move and end their stir. They should go to their homes and start regular life," Haryana minister and BJP leader Anil Vij said on Twitter.
{{/usCountry}}"All the farmers should welcome this move and end their stir. They should go to their homes and start regular life," Haryana minister and BJP leader Anil Vij said on Twitter.
{{/usCountry}}The party's national general secretary Dushyant Gautam said the decision is dedicated to the people of the country.
"I thank Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Now the farmers should resume their regular work for the betterment of the country. It is a decision that is dedicated to the people of the country," Gautam said in a vide message.
Prakash Javadekar, former Union minister, said it's an example of responsible government. "On the auspicious occasion of Prakash Parv, the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi ji has withdrawn all the three agricultural laws. This is an example of a responsible government which is constantly working and continues to work in the welfare and national interest of the farmers," he tweeted.
Addressing the nation on Friday morning, PM Modi said the government has decided to repeal three controversial farm laws against which farmers have protested for more than a year.
"Today I have come to tell you, the whole country, that we have decided to withdraw all three agricultural laws," PM Modi said in his address.
"In Parliament session starting later this month, we will complete the constitutional process to repeal these three agricultural laws," he added.
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The Centre, which has held 11 rounds of formal dialogue with the farmers, had maintained that the new laws are pro-farmer, while protesters claim they would be left at the mercy of corporations because of the legislations.
The ruling BJP will hope that the decision to repeal the three laws will cancel out the political headwinds it has encounters in Punjab and western Uttar Pradesh, two states which are going to the polls early next year.
The three laws are: Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, Farmers’ (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020 and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act.