INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh along with his cabinet colleagues Prakash Jawdekar, Prahlad Joshi, Piyush Goyal, Thawar Chand Gehlot, and
Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi held a press conference on Sunday
The agenda of the interaction was to answer questions related to the Centre's farm-related bills and the ruckus in Rajya Sabha earlier in
the day."It is extremely shameful what happened in the Rajya Sabha today
The government is responsible for running Parliament but the Opposition is also expected to realise its responsibility," Rajnath Singh said
while referring to the ruckus in the Upper House of Parliament on Sunday.Members of Parliament, mostly from Opposition parties engaged in
sloganeering while assembling in the well of the house and demanding a vote
Visuals were also aired of some MPs reaching up to the chair occupied by Deputy Chairman Harivansh Narayana Singh."An incident such as this
has never happened in the parliamentary history of India
I condemn what happened in the Rajya Sabha, it has harmed the dignity of parliament," he added.Defence Minister Rajnath Singh then turned to
the two farm-related bills brought along with an Essential Commodities Bill to replace three ordinances enforced by the Centre earlier this
He said, "Farmers are being misled for political gains
This is not indicative of a healthy democracy."He went on to add, "These bills are revolutionary, farmers' income will increase
The truth is, that once these bills come into effect, farmers can sell their produce anywhere in the country wherever they get the best
price.""Our government has always worked to increase MSP," Singh told reporters during the press conference on Sunday.Responding to a
question about 12 Opposition parties bringing a no-confidence motion against Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh Narayana Singh, Defence
Minister Rajnath Singh said, "The chairman (Venkaiah Naidu) will decide, it is his prerogative."A reporter also asked Rajnath Singh about
claims by Opposition parties that the BJP failed to convince its own Cabinet minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal over the legitimacy of the
The Defence Minister said in response, "We are trying to make everyone understand
Each person makes decisions based on political reasons."He also said in response to a question about the ruckus in Rajya Sabha, "Even if the
MPs thought that they are not being heard, should they attack the chair? Climb on the deputy chairman's podium? Break a microphone? I have
been genuinely hurt."Union Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said regarding the chain of events in Rajya Sabha, "The MPs went into the well when
the vote was being called
Deputy Chairman (Harivansh Singh) said division will be done when everyone returns to their respective seats but no one did."Towards the end
of the press conference, Rajnath Singh responded to a question about claims made by Opposition parties about the farm-related bills
affecting Minimum Support Price (MSP) for farmers and state-regulated Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC)
He said, "I want to give a message to the country's farmers- MSP and APMC will not be ended no matter what
I am also a farmer."India Today's Poulomi Saha asked Defence Minister Rajnath Singh about the Swadeshi Jagran Manch's demand that the Centre
write the term "MSP" in the act itself in order to guarantee that if anyone tries to byproduce at a price lesser than MSP, then it will be
deemed illegal.To this, Rajnath Singh responded by saying, "There has been no such provision in the act even before."
