New (Samajweekly) After 16 political parties, led by the Congress, on Thursday decided to boycott President Ram Nath Kovind’s address to a joint session of Parliament on January 29 over the issue of farm laws, the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), which is running a coalition government with the Congress in the state, has decided not to boycott the presidential address.
While the Congress leaders are unable to justify the stand of the JMM, its ally in Maharashtra, the Shiv Sena, has announced its decision to boycott the presidential address.
The JMM has one member each in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha. Recently, Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren had met Rahul Gandhi, a year after forming the government in the state.
The Congress on Thursday managed to get the support of 16 opposition parties to boycott the President’s address. However, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and Akali Dal, which are opposing the farm laws, were not part of the joint statement issued to boycott the presidential address.
The BJD and the TRS, which opposed the farm laws in the Parliament, are also not part of the joint opposition statement, so are the BSP and the JD(S).
The joint statement said, “India’s farmers have been collectively fighting against the three farm laws, arbitrarily imposed by the BJP government that threatens the future of the Indian agriculture which sustains over 60 per cent of India’s population and the livelihoods of crores of farmers, sharecroppers and farm labourers.
“Lakhs of farmers have been agitating at the gates of the national capital braving biting cold and heavy rain for the last 64 days for their rights and justice. Over 155 farmers have lost their lives. The government remains unmoved and has responded with water cannons, tear gas and lathi-charges.”
