Chandigarh/New Delhi, Jul 30 (UNI) The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) on Friday led a eight party initiative demanding Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla constitute a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) to probe union agriculture minister Narendra Tomar’s assertion in parliament that the union government did not have any record of farmer deaths in the ongoing Kisan Andolan.
A representation in this regard was submitted to the Lok Sabha Speaker by MPs representing the SAD, BSP, NCP, CPI, CPI-M, RLP, J&K National Conference and Shiv Sena.
Former union minister and Bathinda MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal also requested representatives of all opposition parties, including the Congress, to join the delegation of MPs meeting the President tomorrow to demand his intervention and direction to the union government to discuss repeal of the three agriculture laws in parliament.
Giving details of the memorandum submitted to the Speaker Friday , Ms Badal said the MPs pointed out that the agriculture minister had committed a serious lapse by stating that the union government did not have any record of farmer deaths during the Kisan Andolan. “This amounts to whitewashing the sacrifice of the ‘annadaata’ who has been agitating against the three black agricultural laws for eight months".
She said the MPs were shocked that the agriculture minister has made this assertion despite there being clear cut proof of 537 farmers being martyred during the course of the Kisan Andolan.
Requesting the Speaker to intervene on the issue immediately, the MPs said the agricultural minister should be advised to apologize to the farming community for his intemperate remarks.
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