New Delhi: After the bill to repeal the three contentious agrarian laws was passed in both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, former Congress president Rahul Gandhi said that it is unfortunate that the laws were repealed without a discussion. 


Addressing a press conference, the Wayanad MP stated that the upcoming state assembly elections must have been a factor for the Union government while taking the decision to withdraw these laws.


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“Earlier, we had said that the government will have to withdraw the farm laws, and today these laws were repealed. It is unfortunate that the farm laws were repealed without discussion. This government is scared of holding a discussion,” Rahul Gandhi said, as quoted by news agency ANI. 


“The fact is that the Central government could not face the strength of the Indian people represented by farmers in this case,” he claimed. 


“The upcoming State elections must have also played on their mind,” he added. 


The former Congress president had left the Parliament after the Lok Sabha was adjourned till 12 noon following sloganeering by the Opposition members, ANI reported. 


Leader of Congress in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury also attacked the BJP-led Union government for the bill being passed in the Parliament without discussion, saying the government’s ‘Mann ki Baat’ (intension) is something else. 


“The government blames us for not letting the House function. But the Farm Laws Repeal Bill, 2021 was introduced and passed without discussion. The Opposition had demanded a discussion on it. Even though the government has repealed the farm laws, its ‘Mann ki Baat’ is something else,” Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury told media persons, as quoted by ANI.


The Farm Laws Repeal Bill, 2021 was passed after the resumption of Lok Sabha. Following that, the bill was also passed in the Upper House on the first day of the Winter Session. 


Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar tabled the Farm Laws Repeal Bill 2021 in Rajya Sabha soon after resumption after the temporary adjournment. Notably, the bill was already circulated among Rajya Sabha members on Friday. 


In an address to the nation on November 19, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced the decision to repeal the three contentious agrarian laws. Following this announcement, the bill was cleared by the Union Cabinet last week. 


Meanwhile, the winter session of Parliament which began on Monday is scheduled to conclude on December 23.


(With Agency Inputs)