Centre repealed three farm laws without holding a discussion in Parliament, says Farooq Abdullah

Launching an attack on the Centre, Jammu and Kashmir National Conference Chairman Farooq Abdullah on Tuesday said that when the government thought that the three farm laws would affect the upcoming elections, they repealed it without holding debates in Parliament.

Speaking at an event here in Jammu, Farooq Abdullah said, "750 farmers died in the farmers' protest. When they saw that the impact will be on five states, then they repealed the three farm laws."

Abdullah said that when the Centre was passing the three farm laws in parliament, he had advised the Centre to hold a debate but they resisted. "We had to stage a walkout. Again, during the repeal, we advised them to hold a debate but they do not listen to a word."

Abdullah said, "Parliament is for discussion and debate, not a fight. To talk on the various issues related to the people of the nation. If the centre and opposition will talk, then only we can hold a talk and resolve the issues of the nation."

Regarding the security forces killing civilians due to mistaken identity in an anti-insurgency operation in the Mon district of Nagaland, Abdullah said, "Empowering the Border Security Force (BSF) to conduct searches, arrest suspects and make seizures up to an area of 50 km inside Indian territory, Punjab will become next Nagaland. Innocents got killed in Nagaland."

The Centre, earlier in the month of October had empowered the Border Security Force (BSF) to conduct searches, arrest suspects and make seizures up to an area of 50 km inside Indian territory from the International Border (IB) along India-Pakistan and India-Bangladesh borders.

The BSF, which was only empowered to take action up to 15 kilometres in the states of Punjab, West Bengal, and Assam, has now been authorised to extend its jurisdiction up to 50 km without any hurdle or permission either from central or state governments.

However, its jurisdiction has been cut short by 20 km in the five northeastern states-- Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura, Nagaland, and Meghalaya-- where it had jurisdiction up to 80 km. Similarly in Gujarat, the BSF's jurisdiction has been curtailed from 80 to 50 km. In Rajasthan, the BSF's area of jurisdiction will remain the same at 50 km.

Earlier, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said that like Punjab, they are also protesting against the Centre's decision to increase search and arrest jurisdiction of BSF in border states.

( With inputs from ANI )