President Ram Nath Kovind Gives His Approval To Three Farm Bills Amid Widespread Protest

President Ram Nath Kovind on Sunday gave his approval to all the three Farm Bills passed by the Parliament.

President Ram Nath Kovind. (Image: Videograb/ Youtube)

Amid the ongoing nationwide protest against the contentious bills, President Ram Nath Kovind on Sunday gave his approval to all the three Farm Bills - Farmer's Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020, the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill, 2020 and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill, 2020.  President's assent over the three bills has come at the time when a dozen opposition parties and farmers across India have been protesting against the legislation for weeks. Several farmers' unions earlier this week called for a 'Bharat Bandh' (nationwide shutdown). Associations including Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU), All India Farmers Union (AIFU), All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee (AIKSCC), All India Kisan Mahasangh called for the strike which has been support by several Opposition parties, including Congress, which has termed the bills as 'anti-farmer' and 'anti-poor'. The farmers have expressed concerns that they are afraid of not getting paid at the MSP any more once the Bills are signed. Farmers want profitable sales in the form of minimum support prices (MSPs) to be a legal right. The farmers have also demanded a separate ordinance to provide a clear provision that if any agency buys the crop of the farmer below the MSP, then legal action will be taken against it. In fact, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), one of the oldest allies of Bharatiya Janata Party, has decided to pull out of BJP-led NDA alliance over its differences with the Centre over agrarian reform bills. The party led by Sukhbir Singh Badal said in a statement that it has decided to part ways with the NDA because of the centre’s stubborn refusal to give statutory legislative guarantees to protect assured marketing of farmers crops on MSP & its continued insensitivity to Punjabi and Sikh issues. Earlier today, Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his 69th edition of his monthly radio programme 'Mann Ki Baat' spoke about the farmers of the country and praised them for playing a major role in the efforts to build an Atmanirbhar Bharat. Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, "During the Covid-19 pandemic, farmers have suffered a lot, however, they have not given up. Farmers are earning 10-12 lakh per care every year by growing vegetables..sweet corn, cucumber. They have the power to sell it to whoever they want (from anywhere they are getting better price).