Rajya Sabha business lists debate on 'agri problems, solutions', Jairam Ramesh questions his name on it

NEW DELHI: Congress leader Jairam Ramesh has accused the government of putting his name in the discussion on 'agriculture problems and solutions' in the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday which is not related to his calling attention notice on farmers' agitation.

Since the start of the Monsoon session on July 19, parliamentary proceedings have been continuously witnessing disruptions due to protests by Opposition parties and a logjam has persisted over their demand for a discussion on the Pegasus snooping row and farmers' protests.

"Tomorrow, in a too clever-by-half move the Modi Government has scheduled a discussion on 'the agricultural problems and solutions' and added my name to it.

"The discussion has nothing to do with my notice given on July 23 on the ongoing farmers' agitation," Ramesh tweeted on Monday.

The government has listed a short-duration discussion on "the agricultural problems and solutions" in the list of businesses of the Rajya Sabha for August 10.

Ramesh shared a picture of the calling attention notice given on July 23 in which he wrote, "Farmers and farmer organisations have been protesting and agitating against the three farm laws that were pushed through Parliament without any legislative scrutiny in September 2020. The agitation has been going on for at least nine months now."

Trinamool Congress leader Derek O'Brien supported Ramesh saying the "dirty tricks" of the BJP is trying to break opposition unity.

"Dirty tricks of Modi-Shah. Glad you called them out. Opposition speaking in one voice: we want a discussion on internal security (Pegasus). Failed again in trying to divide and rule," O'Brien tweeted in reply to Ramesh.