Samajwadi Party to protest in UP against farm and labour reform laws

The protests by SP will coincide with farmers’ protests against the agriculture reform laws on Friday.

Samajwadi Party (SP) on Friday would hold simultaneous demonstrations in Uttar Pradesh against alleged anti-farmer and anti-labourer laws supported by BJP governments at the state and centre to coincide with the nationwide protest call-- by a coalition of farmers’ organisations-- against the three farm reform bills passed by the Parliament in the Monsoon session.

In a statement issued on Thursday evening, the party said that on the instruction of the party’s national president Akhilesh Yadav, the party cadre in all districts would submit a memorandum against the “anti-farmer”, “anti-labourer” laws passed by the government on Friday, while maintaining social distancing. The memorandum will be addressed to the governor of the state.

“The bills passed by the BJP government have ignored the interests of farmers and labourers and would make the former lose ownership of land and become labourers in their own farms. Agriculture mandis will be wiped out and farmers would be forced to sell their produce at lesser prices because of uncertain MSP or minimum support price offered by the government.

Live: Latest updates on farmers’ protests

The party further claimed that the removal of wheat and paddy from the Essential Commodities Act would force farmers to sell these grains to business houses and grain traders, at the prices dictated by these enterprises.

“But the SP won’t let the farmers be suppressed and will raise its voice,” the statement said.

Taking about labour laws, the statement said that the new laws would badly affect workers and labourers. Till now, an industry with 100 employees had no provision to retrench staff without government permission while the new law would give the right to industries, with even 300 employees, to retrench whenever they wanted.

The party said that this would lead to insecurity among workers and encourage their exploitation.

The central government has, however, said that the reforms are meant to allow farmers greater freedom in selling produce and the MSP regime was not going away. It has accused the Opposition of misleading the farmers.