Prakash Javadekar hits out 'hypocritical' Congress over Bharat Bandh support

New Delhi, Dec 08: Union minister Prakash Javadekar on Tuesday said that Opposition parties asking for the rollback of the Centre's farm laws are hypocrites and pointed out that they had passed the contract farming act while in power.

Several political parties, including the Congress, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Trinamool Congress (TMC), Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS), Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), Shiv Sena, Left parties and many others have extended their support to the farmers. The four-hour Bharat Bandh started on Tuesday at 11 am.

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"The opposition which is asking to roll back these laws is hypocritical as they had passed the contract farming act while in power. Congress has mentioned the introduction of these laws in their manifesto," Javadekar said.

"Farmers had demanded remunerative price additional to the cost and we are giving them 50 per cent above the cost. Congress has never offered anything during their tenure. It is Prime Minister Narendra Modi who is giving this," Javadekar added.

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Union minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said, "It has been an old practice of the opposition parties to mislead the people on every issue and destroy the image of the nation. While in power, parties like Congress, NCP, Akali Dal and Left have supported such bills."