Narendra Modi Address Live Updates: Failed to explain benefits to some Farmers, says Agriculture Minister NS Tomar

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TrinamoolCongress (TMC) leaderMahua Moitraon Friday welcomed the Centre's decision to repeal three controversial farm laws, but said the rulingBJPcannot be trusted till it actually withdraws theselegislationsin the upcoming session of Parliament.Addressing a press conference, theTMC'sLokSabhamember said no one trusts theBJPas "their left hand speaks one thing, while the right hand says something else""The announcement made by PMNarendraModito repeal the farm laws is a victory of farmers in the country...But till the farm laws are actually repealed in Parliament, we can't say anything,"Moitrasaid.

The Congress on Friday said the BJP's "fear of defeat" in the upcoming state assembly polls has forced Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take back his decision on three farm laws. The party also demanded that the prime minister apologise to the farmers for the "pain" inflicted on them. Congress general secretary and chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala also posed a set of five questions to the government, asking what is the roadmap and way forward for giving MSP to farmers, doubling farmers' income and of freeing them from debt. He said the "anti-farmer" BJP's powers and those of its capitalist friends have finally lost and today is the day of the defeat of Modi's "arrogance".

"The BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi's arrogance had to bow before the farmers but the country will not forget your sin. People have now understood that the victory of Indians and India lies ahead of BJP's defeat," he told reporters at a press conference after the prime minister announced the repeal of three farm laws. "The Modi government and PM Modi have publicly accepted their crime and it is now time for the people to pronounce punishment for this crime. The public has understood that the country's victory lies in BJP's defeat," Surjewala said. "Modi ji is seeing his loss clearly in upcoming elections and this fear has forced him to take back his decision and shed his 'raaj hath' (stubbornness)," he charged. He alleged that PM Modi is responsible for the death of 700 farmers who lost their lives during the agitation and said he should now apologise to them. He said today is the day of the "defeat of the conspiracy to sell farm lands of farmers" and is the day of the victory of farmers, labourers and shopkeepers and is also the day of the victory of the "martyrdom of over 700 farmers who gave away their lives for the agitation against the farm laws".

PM had brought the 3 Bills that were passed by the Parliament. They would'vebenefittedfarmers, behind it were PM's clear intentions to bring revolutionary changes in lives of farmers. But I'm pained that we failed to explain benefits to some farmers of nation, AgricultureMinisterNarendraSinghTomarsaid.

Celebrations erupted Friday morning atGhazipur- a landmark farm laws' protest site at Delhi's border - with the Centre's announcement that the contentiouslegislationswill be repealed. TheBharatiyaKisanUnion (BKU), which is leading the protest atGhazipur, however, said the protest will not be withdrawn until the laws are repealed in Parliament.Hundreds of farmers were seen offering sweets to each other atGhazipuron theDelhi-UttarPradesh border to celebrate the "half victory" of their almost year-long protest. "We had two main demands. All three black farm laws be repealed and a legal guarantee ensured for minimum support price (MSP) for crops through a new law. Our protest will continue till both demands are met,"BKUspokespersonSaurabhUpadhyaytoldPTI.SunilPradhan, aBKUoffice bearer fromGautamBuddhNagardistrict, said the crowd atGhazipuris expected to swell manifold later today. "Many people have gone toGarhMukteshwarto attend theKartikfair and would return after taking a dip in theGanga," he said."Celebrations have already begun here atGhazipur. But this just half victory as other issues, including law onMSPis yet to be announced," he toldPTI.

WithPrime MinisterNarendraModiannouncing the repeal of the three farm laws on Friday,Bahujan Samajwadi Party(BSP) chiefMayawaticongratulated farmers but termed the central government's move a ''very late one.'TheBSPsupremo also demanded framing a law to assure support price for farmers' produce and financial compensation for the kin of farmers who lost their lives during the protest against the three contentious laws.''The sacrifices of the farmers have paid off. The government in the end withdrew the three controversial laws though it is too late,''Mayawatitold reporters.This decision should have come earlier so that several issues the country is plagued with could have been warded off, she said.''The demand for a national law to assure support price for farmers' produce is still pending. TheBSPdemands that it should be introduced in the Winter Session of Parliament. The government should accept this demand,'' she said.

| BJP president JP Nadda said "The BJP wholeheartedly welcomes PM Narendra Modi’s announcement, that too on the special day of Guru Nanak Dev Ji’s Parkash Utsav. Our PM has shown that he has immense care for our farmers. This decision will further the atmosphere of brotherhood across our nation".

The Congress on Friday described the Centre’s announcement to repeal three farm laws as a victory against injustice, and said arrogance had to bow its head before the peaceful 'satyagrah' of farmers. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in an address to the nation of Gurupurab, announced that the government has decided to repeal the three farm laws, which were at the centre of protests by farmers for the past year.

"Country’s 'annadatas' (food providers) have made arrogance bow its head through satyagraha," Rahul Gandhi said in a tweet in Hindi. "Congratulations on this victory against injustice! ’Jai Hind, Jai Hind ka Kisan’," he said. Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala tweeted, "Glory to the farmer! The agitation has won and the arrogance has lost! Satyameva Jayate".

He used the hashtag "#FarmLaws_InjusticeByModi". Senior Congress leader and deputy leader of Congress in the Rajya Sabha Anand Sharma, while welcoming the repeal of the farm laws, hoped the government would draw lessons to not bypass Parliament and would meaningfully engage with the opposition before enacting laws with far-reaching consequences.

The government will have to move a bill in Parliament to repeal the three agri laws, which were at the centre of protests by farmers for the past year, Constitution and legal experts said on Friday. In his address to the nation, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that the three agri laws will be repealed and the constitutional process required to do so will be completed in the Winter session of Parliament beginning later this month.

"For repeal, the power of Parliament is the same as enacting a law under the Constitution," explained former Union Law Secretary P K Malhotra. The government will have to bring a bill to repeal the three laws. The government will have to bring a bill to repeal the three laws. "There is no other way," said former Lok Sabha Secretary General P D T Acharya.

Senior Congress leader Anand Sharma welcomed the repeal of the three farm laws and hoped the government draws lessons to not bypass Parliament and meaningfully engages with the opposition before enacting laws with far-reaching consequences.

''Truth and justice has prevailed and the farmers' protests vindicated. Had the government not bypassed Parliament scrutiny and excluded stakeholders from consultations, the pain and suffering of the farmers and the loss of lives could have been avoided,'' he said after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the repeal of the agri laws.

''Hope that lessons are learnt and the government gets the realisation that no law should be enacted in a hurry without the consultation with all stakeholders,'' Sharma said.

The deputy leader of the Congress in Rajya Sabha said the practice of the government to bypass Parliamentary scrutiny by not referring the bills to standing committees and joint select committees has created complications and conflicts like that on the farm laws and the Citizen's (Amendment) Act (CAA).

''The government should meaningfully engage with the opposition on proposals to enact any law that has far-reaching consequences,'' the former union minister said. Prime Minister Modi on Friday announced that the government has decided to repeal the three farm laws, which were at the centre of protests by farmers for the past year, and appealed to the protesting farmers to return home.