New Delhi (NVI): 16 opposition parties have decided to boycott the President’s address to a joint sitting of Parliament tomorrow, before the commencement of the Budget session, in solidarity with the farmers protesting over new farm laws.
The 16 opposition parties, led by the Congress, NCP, Shiv Sena and the TMC have also condemned the Delhi violence, besides an independent probe into the “Central Government’s nefarious role in orchestrating those events.”
They have also demanded the repealing of the three farm laws, passed by the Centre recently, saying that these laws are “an assault on the rights of the States and violate the federal spirit of the Constitution.”
“If not repealed, these Laws will effectively dismantle the edifice of national food security that rests upon – minimum support price (MSP), government procurement and public distribution system (PDS),” read a joint statement from the opposition parties.
The statement further alleged that the farm bills were brought without any consultations with states and farmer unions and “lacked national consensus.
“Parliamentary scrutiny was bypassed and the laws were pushed through muzzling the Opposition, in brazen violation of Parliamentary rules, practices and conventions. The very constitutional validity of these laws remains in question,” it said.
-ARK
