President Ram Nath Kovind gives assent to contentious Farm Bills amid farmers' protest

President Ram Nath Kovind on Sunday gave his assent to the three contentious agriculture-related Bills amid continued farmers' protests and a demand by 18 Opposition parties to not sign the legislations over the way in which it was passed in the Rajya Sabha.

The government on Sunday issued gazette notifications on the three farm Bills -- The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farmer Services Act, 2020, The Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020 and The Essential Commodities Act, 2020.

The President had signed the Bills on September 24, a day before farmers held countrywide protests against the Bills, refusing to believe the government's assertions that the legislations were in the interest of the farmers.

Immediately after the notification was issued, Congress MP from Kerala T N Prathapan said that he would file a petition in the Supreme Court on Monday against the Bills.

After the Lok Sabha cleared it, the Rajya Sabha had passed The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farmer Services Bill and The Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill on September 20 amid pandemonium after Deputy Chairman Harivansh went ahead with the passage of the legislations with a voice vote while ignoring the demands for division of votes.

Read: Opposition files no-confidence motion against RS Dy Chairman Harivansh, sits on dharna inside House

The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill was passed in the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday after the Opposition boycotted the session demanding the revocation of suspension of its eight MPs.

On Wednesday, Leader of the Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad met the President with the letter supported by 18 parties urging him not to sign the Bills, citing the “unconstitutional” manner in which the two Bills were passed in the Rajya Sabha.

Azad had said the two Bills were passed without considering the resolutions moved by the Opposition leaders and breakdown in the audio link that deprived members seated in the Lok Sabha chamber from participating in the proceedings.

On Friday, farmers held countrywide protests while on Saturday long-time NDA ally Akali Dal quit the ruling coalition citing its opposition to the legislations. Its Union Minister Harsimrat Kaur had resigned from the Union Cabinet when the Bills were being debated in the Lok Sabha.

While former Congress President Rahul Gandhi stepped up the attack demanding that the government withdraw the proposed legislations and give a guarantee on MSP, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been accusing the Opposition of misleading the farmers and the country on the issue.