Farm laws implemented for benefit of farmers', withdrawn in national interest: PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said that future events will show why the government had to repeal the three farm laws passed in the Parliament.

Responding to a question on repeal of the farm laws, the prime minister, during an interview with news agency ANI, repeated what he had said while announcing the repeal of the laws.

"I have said this earlier also that farm laws were brought in for the benefit of farmers but have now been withdrawn in the interest of the nation. I don't think this needs to be explained anymore. Future events will make it clear why these steps were necessary," Modi said.

Prime Minister said he has always worked for the benefit of farmers and they always supported him. "I am someone who is on a journey to win the hearts of farmers. I understand the pain of farmers with marginal landholdings. I have always tried to win their hearts," he said.

"I have won the hearts of farmers from across the country and they have always supported me," he added. On being asked whether the government is open to dialogue with farmers over the farm bills, PM Modi said that dialogue and discussion are the basis of democracy.

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"In a democracy, it is the primary duty of public representatives to engage in dialogue with the people of the country. Our government has always engaged in these discussions and we are not in favour of stopping them," PM Modi said.

On November 19 last year, the Prime Minister had announced to repeal the three farm laws and apologised to the protesting farmers and said, “Today, I apologise if some farmers did not understand what we wanted to do through the farm laws. We have decided to repeal the three farm laws. We will withdraw all these three bills in the upcoming Parliament session."

Farmers from Haryana, Punjab, and some parts of Uttar Pradesh were camped at Delhi borders for almost a year and demanded the government to withdraw the three laws — The Farmers Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020 and Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020.

(With inputs from ANI)