PM, Rajnath, Gadkari should hold talks with farm unions: Pawar

Acommittee of agriculture ministers of nine states was formedto study and prepare a draft law, which was headed by the thenMaharashtra minister Harshvardhan Patil.The draft was prepared and states were asked todiscuss it.

NCP chief Sharad Pawar on Sundaysaid Prime Minister Narendra Modi and senior Union ministerslike Rajnath Singh and Nitin Gadkari should hold talks withfarmers' unions to resolve the deadlock over ongoing protestagainst the three new agriculture laws.

He said differences regarding the implementation ofagriculture reforms can be resolved through deliberations.

Pawar was speaking to reporters in Baramati, hishometown in Pune district.

''Prime Minister Narendra Modi and senior ministerslike Rajnath Singh and Nitin Gadkari should hold talks withfarmers' organisations,'' he said.

''Piyush Goyal is from Mumbai and I don't know how muchhe knows about agriculture,'' he said.

Goyal and a few other union ministers have beenholding talks with the farmer representatives to break theimpasse.

Pawar said agriculture was a state subject and lawsshould be enacted after consultations with the stategovernments.

''There can be differences over implementation ofagriculture reforms, which can be resolved throughdeliberations,'' the former Union agriculture minister said.

According to him, laws for agriculture reforms werebeing discussed since 2003 when Vajpayee was the primeminister.

''In my time, discussions used to take place with thestate governments since agriculture is a state subject. Acommittee of agriculture ministers of nine states was formedto study and prepare a draft law, which was headed by the thenMaharashtra minister Harshvardhan Patil.

''The draft was prepared and states were asked todiscuss it. But the present government has prepared its ownlaw and got it passed in the Parliament amid chaos and withoutdiscussion,'' he said.

''There was no consultation and the states were nottaken into confidence. Agriculture reforms have to be donewhen required. Differences if any can be resolved throughtalks,'' he said.

When asked about BJP leader Narayan Rane's remark thatUnion Home Minister Amit Shah's visit to Sindhudurg on Sundaywould be a good omen to pave the way for fall of the MVAgovernment in the state, Pawar said, ''Rane is an old colleagueand I didn't know that he cracks such jokes. His remarksshould be seen as a political joke and nothing more thanthat.'' PTI MRNP NP