At all party meet, Opposition takes up issue of farmers agitation with PM Modi, seeks debate

Opposition parties on Saturday demanded an extensive debate on the farmers' agitation as a consequence of farm laws. The demand was made at the all-party meeting convened by Prime Minister Narendra Modi where he assured them that the government was willing to discuss all agriculture-related issues with the opposition and sought their cooperation in running the parliament smoothly.

According to sources, Congress' Ghulam Nabi Azad, Trinamool Congress' Sudip Bandopadhyay, Aam Aadmi Party's Bhagwant Mann, Vinayak Raut from the Shivsena and Balwinder Singh Bhunder from the Shirom Akali Dal spoke at length on farmers' agitation and sought the government's assurance that it would discuss all contentious issues related to the new laws. They also reportedly asked the government not to see them as enemies.

Azad reportedly said in the meeting that Congress has already warned the government about the agitation and now the government has to deal with the consequences, sources informed.

Bhagwant Mann from AAP appreciated the fact that everyone got a chance at speaking on the issues. He too reportedly told the PM that a few elements entered the farmers' agitation and created chaos whereas farmers went back to their respective places and that FIRs are being registered against the actual farmers.

He also asked for the repeal of farm laws.

Most opposition leaders were of the view that the government needs to discuss the laws again in both houses of parliament and also seek to address the misgivings of the agitating farmers.

At the all-party-meet. RCP Singh JDU chief spoke in support of farm laws.

GK Vasan, Tamil Mla Congress - to appeal to the members to raise issues and spoke at great length and said that Congress had already warned about agitation on farm laws and now government has to deal with it.

( With inputs from ANI )