Ahmed Patel attacks Modi govt: Our 2019 manifesto is horse, BJP tried to compare it with donkey

Congress MP Ahmed Patel on Sunday attacked Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) saying that his party's manifesto is a 'horse' and the BJP tried to compare it with a 'donkey.'

"I will talk about what BJP's President said about our manifesto. It is good that he studied our manifesto and brought out a few points from it to compare with their Bill. Our manifesto for Lok Sabha elections 2019 is a horse and they have tried to compare it with a donkey," Patel said during a discussion on agriculture reform bills in the Upper House.

"They have studied only 2 points out of 22 points we have listed in our manifesto. We have suggested reforms that aimed to help farmers but the current bills do not have anything to protect farmers. The bills protect corporates only," he added.

Patel alleged that the bills brought out by the centre will "destroy the MSP system."

"They do not have money to allocate funds to Food Corporation of India (FCI) to purchase the crops," he added.

Earlier, BJP MP Bhupender Yadav attacked the Congress party for opposing the agriculture Bills in Rajya Sabha and asked the party why the income of hard-working farmers was not increased when Congress was in power.

YSRCP MP VV Reddy termed Congress as "a party of middlemen dalals" and said that there is no reason for Congress to oppose agricultural-related Bills.

While supporting the bills, Reddy said, "I want to bring the hypocrisy of Congress party. In their manifesto of Lok Sabha elections. They have said the same things which are in the bills and now they are not supporting the bills now? Those supporting it (Bills) are pro-farmers, those opposing it are pro-dalal."

The statements came during the debate when Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmer Welfare Narendra Singh Tomar moved two agriculture Bills in the Upper House.

Rajya Sabha on Sunday passed the Farmers' and Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020 and the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill, 2020, amid protests by Opposition MPs.

The Bills were passed by voice vote in the Upper House. Both of these Bills were passed by the Lower House with a voice vote a couple of days back.

Opposition MPs came in the well of the House and raised slogans against the bills. Soon after passage of these Bills, Rajya Sabha was adjourned till 9 am on Monday.

(ANI)

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