RJD Rajya Sabha member Manoj Jha has approached the Supreme Court questioning the Centre’s new farm laws, saying the “discriminatory and manifestly arbitrary” changes will expose marginal farmers to exploitation by big corporates.
Jha is the third legislator to challenge the new farm laws. Earlier, Congress MP from Kerala T N Prathapan and DMK Rajya Sabha member from Tamil Nadu Tiruchi Siva had moved the court in the matter.
In his plea, Jha has said, “The impugned legislations corporatise agriculture and ushers in an unregulated and exploitative regime. A farmer would not have the knowledge to negotiate the best terms with a private company. This leads to unequal bargaining position in negotiating the farm agreement with corporates and would lead to corporates monopolising the agriculture sector.”
He alleged that the laws were passed “in breach of the Parliamentary Rules and convention”, in “blatant breach of the principles of federal structure” and “violates the Basic Structure of the Constitution”.
