Repealing farm laws will show Modi government's large-heartedness: Shiv Sena

MUMBAI: With farmers' protest against the Centre's farm laws continuing near Delhi, the Shiv Sena on Monday said if the Union government repeals the agri-marketing laws, it will show its "large-heartedness".

An editorial in Shiv Sena mouthpiece 'Saamana' blamed the central government for the "deteriorating" situation, and said farmers have the right to protest.

"They are protesting near Delhi with that right. The government, too, has no reason to feel low about withdrawing the farm laws, which they (farmers) find tyrannical. Rather it (withdrawing the laws) will be large-heartedness," it said.

Thousands of farmers, mostly from Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, are protesting at various border points of Delhi against the new farm laws.

The Centre's offer to amend the contentious laws failed to cut ice with farmer groups during the fifth round of talks on Saturday, and the protesting cultivators have called for a 'Bharat Bandh' on Tuesday.

The editorial in 'Saamana' said the current deadlock would have eased a bit had the government "shown the courtesy" of holding parleys over the issue with farmers' leaders like Prakash Singh Badal (of the Shiromani Akali Dal) and (NCP chief) Sharad Pawar during the difficult time.

"Today, the situation is worsening. These are the fruits of the government's deeds," it claimed.

The government has people in it who can win elections or "buy victory", but lacks experts who can combat the challenges faced by farmers or the problem of unemployment, the editorial said.

It said there was a time when the government had trouble-shooters like (late BJP leaders) Pramod Mahajan, Arun Jaitley and Sushma Swaraj, who could hold dialogue leading to end of a deadlock (over any issue).

"But today, there is not a single such face in the government. Hence, five-five rounds of discussions (with farmers) have failed," the editorial said.

It claimed that with the implementation of the agriculture laws, lands of farmers will go to industrialists.