India / Delhi CM Kejriwal tears copy of farm laws in Assembly session, pics surface

New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal tore up copies of the farm bills during a special Assembly session on Thursday, and urged the centre "not to become worse than Britishers". Mr Kejriwal also asked the centre "what was the hurry to get the farm laws passed during pandemic".

"I hereby tear (up the) three farm laws in this Assembly and appeal to the centre not to become wors(e) than (the) Britishers. What was the hurry to get farm laws passed in parliament during (the coronavirus) pandemic?" Mr Kejriwal asked during a session called to discuss the farmers' protest.

"Every farmer has become Bhagat Singh... government is saying they are reaching out to farmers and trying to explain benefits of the farm bills... The UP Chief Minister told farmers they will benefit as their land won't be taken away. Is that a benefit?" the Chief Minister added.

Hours later the BJP hit back, with Lok Sabha MP Meenakshi Lekhi saying: "Centre's farm laws were notified in Delhi Gazette on November 23. Now, they're tearing copies of same act in Delhi Assembly. This is opportunistic politics."

Centre's 3 Farm laws were notified in Delhi Gazette on 23rd Nov. Now, they're tearing copies of same act in Delhi Assembly after notifying. This is opportunistic politics. Delhi CM is the new chameleon, he can just change colours without qualms: BJP MP Meenakshi Lekhi on Delhi CM https://t.co/tsPGw8FtPE pic.twitter.com/awPSMRz8qo

— ANI (@ANI) December 17, 2020

"The Delhi Chief Minister is the new chameleon... he can change colours without qualms," Ms Lekhi was quoted by news agency ANI.

The AAP has been a vocal supporter of the farmers, and even provided basic infrastructure - drinking water, medical care and sanitation - to thousands who fought past tear gassing and lathi charges, and are now braving the cold, to camp on Delhi borders for nearly three weeks now.

Last week Mr Kejriwal visited farmers at Singhu (on the Delhi-Haryana border) and said: "We support all the demands of the farmers." He also said the bills "decriminalise profiteering and hoarding" and hit out at critics who allege involvement of separatist elements.

"Some BJP leaders are saying farmers are anti-national. Many ex-servicemen... singers, celebrities, doctors, traders are supporting them... are all these also anti-nationals?" he asked Monday.

Mr Kejriwal also took on the centre on reports that over 20 protesters, including the 65-year-old priest of a Haryana gurudwara - have died since the agitation began nearly three weeks ago.

"...how many sacrifices farmers will have to make to get their voices heard," he asked.

Earlier MLAs from Mr Kejriwal's Aam Aadmi Party - Mahendra Goyal and Somnath Bharti - also tore up copies as bills to counter those passed by the centre in September were tabled.

"We refuse to accept these black laws, which are against farmers," Mr Goyal, Mr Bharti and Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot, who tabled the bills, said.

Delhi is set to become the third state (after Congress-ruled Punjab and Rajasthan) to pass legislation designed to counter the centre's laws.

This morning the Supreme Court, while hearing a clutch of petitions on the issue, said that while protests may continue they could not be allowed to block access to the national capital.

The thousands of farmers camped around Delhi have also occupied highways over the past three weeks. They have, however, made it a point never to stop emergency services, such as ambulances.

Multiple rounds of talks between the farmers and the centre have, so far, failed to resolve the stand-off; neither side is willing to back down - the farmers wants the laws to be scrapped and the centre says it will only amend the more problematic sections.