Amid nationwide protest against the center’s Farms bill, Rajasthan’s Nagaur MP Hanuman Beniwal on Saturday resigned from three parliamentary committees in support of farmers.
Mr Beniwal, a convener of the Rashtriya Loktantrik Party and the BJP’s ally at the Centre, submitted his resignation to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla.
He submitted his resignation to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla.
“I had raised various people-centric issues with the committees I was part of in Parliament. It is sad that action has not been taken on the issues. There is no justification for committees in the parliamentary system if action is not taken. As the issues remained unheard and due to the farmers’ agitation, I am tendering my resignation from the committees,” Beniwal said after resigning from the posts.
On BJP’s hard stance amid protests, Beniwal said there is no farmer leader in the BJP and that’s why they are not able to understand farmers’ pain.
A BJP spokesperson said that the RLP is supporting the protesting farmers to gain political mileage. “The BJP government is dedicated to the welfare of the farmers and majority of them are with us. The RLP had initially supported the farm laws and now taking a U-turn to gain political mileage,” he said on condition of anonymity.
State Congress spokesperson Nitin Agarwal said that there is a lot of difference between what Beniwal says and what he does.
“Initially, he supported the farmers’ law and now he is against the bills. There is a contradiction in his statements. If he really wants farmers’ benefit then just like the Akali Dal, he should break the alliance with the NDA,” he said.
He has been supporting the farmers’ agitation against three farm laws enacted by the Centre. He had demanded that the laws be withdrawn and asked the Centre to implement recommendations of the Swaminathan commission on farmers.
The farmers are demanding a roll back of the Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Ordinance, 2020, the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Ordinance, 2020 and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Ordinance, 2020.