MP minister holds fast to bring ‘good sense’ among agitating farmers

Madhya Pradesh Agriculture Minister Kamal Patel on Thursday observed a one-day fast here so that “good sense prevails” among the farmers protesting against the Centre’s new agriculture laws.
Patel observed the fast on the banks of river Narmada at Handia in Harda district along with a large number of people between 11 am and 5 pm.
Talking to reporters, the minister said, “The three new farm laws are in the interest of farmers and Prime Minister Narendra Modi has implemented them with the aim of changing the cultivators’ fate as these legislations will double their income by the year 2022.”
“Congress and other parties are misleading the farmers as they are not interested in the cultivators’ income to be raised,” he said.
On the occasion, he appealed to the protesting farmers to withdraw their agitation, saying that the government was ready to remove any shortcomings in the laws through dialogue.
“I hope that my fast will bring about good sense among the protesting farmers and they will withdraw their agitation against the agri laws,” he said.
Patel said that by enacting the new laws, the Centre has brought the agriculture sector on par with the industries and trade.
“These laws will take the farmers on the path of development. But political leaders are misleading the farmers and promoting the agitation,” he alleged.
Thousands of farmers, mostly from Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh, have been protesting at Delhi’s borders for over two months against the laws.