Trinamool’s Derek O’Brien Tears Rule Book As RS Passes Farm Bill

New Delhi: The Rajya Sabha on Sunday passed two contentious farm Bills by voice vote amid uproar by opposition members.

The Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020, and The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill, 2020, were passed by the Upper House. The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill, 2020, part of the broader farm liberalisation plan, could not be taken up and the House was adjourned for the day.

The members of opposition parties including those from the TMC, Congress and Left, created ruckus after deputy chairperson Harivansh did not consider their demand for a division of votes on a resolution to send the two Bills to a select committee. Amid the ruckus, the House was adjourned.

Odisha’s BJD had also opposed the Bills because of inadequate protection to small and marginal farmers and share croppers and asked the government to send the Bills to the Select Committee for fine-tuning.

The members of the Trinamool, including Derek O’Brien, and other opposition members had earlier climbed the chairperson’s podium after their demand for voting on motion to send the farm Bills to select panel was not considered. They also showed the rule book to Harivansh during the debate on the contentious farm bills. Trinamool member was seen tearing the rule book as the deputy chairperson turned down the opposition demand.