New Delhi: RJD and SP today joined the main
opposition BJP in attacking Union Agriculture Minister Sharad
Pawar over sugarcane policy, saying he wants to help sugar
mill owners and not farmers.
"This entire decision (to introduce the Sugarcane Control
(Amendment) Order 2009 Ordinance) is to benefit sugar mills.
Pawar wants to help sugar mill owners, the sugar lobby. Being
an Agriculture Minister, he should come to the help of
farmers," senior BJP leader from Maharashtra Gopinath Munde
told reporters outside Parliament.
Echoing similar views, SP general secretary Amar Singh
said the government has given an order for the import of raw
sugar from Brazil so that sugar mills continue to run even if
farmers in the country do not supply them sugarcane.
"With the blessings of Pawar, the raw sugar of Brazil is
lying in the godowns of the rich (sugar mill owners). So that
sugar mills continue to run with that raw sugar. I am
surprised at the heavy import of raw sugar. This means even as
farmers burn their sugarcane crop or even themselves, the
sugar mills would continue to run," Singh said. He termed the
Ordinance as "pro-mill owners and anti-farmers".
RJD leader Raghuvansh Prasad Singh, when asked whether he
crticises the government in general or Pawar in particular,
said, "When we say that government is to be blamed, it has to
be kept in mind that Sharad Pawar is also in the government.
Be it Sharad Pawar or anybody else, who is in the government
has to face the criticism for it."
Bureau Report
