Slogans raised, documents torn: This is how Opposition behaved in Upper house of the Parliament

Rajya Sabha saw a major ruckus on Sunday as Opposition members left their seats to demand a division of votes during passage of the two key farm bills.

Rajya Sabha, on Sunday, passed Farmer's Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020, and the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill, 2020. These bills have already been passed by the Lok Sabha.

These key bills were passed by voice vote.

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The Opposition resolutely demanded that the bills be sent to House panel for a closer scrutiny. The demands were negated by voice vote. The ruckus in the House had already started.

Deputy Chairman Hariavansh overuled the demand for a division of votes.

What followed was pure pandemonium. Opposition MPs, led by Trinamool Congress, rose from their seats and entered the well of the House. Books were flung at the Deputy Chairman. House marshals had to do their best to protect the Chair from this onslaught. The ruckus created by the Opposition had previously compelled Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar to cut short

"These are the rules...!" TMC MP Derek Obrien could be heard telling the Deputy Chairman. He charged towards the podium. Obrien had the rulebook in hand. He has been accused of trying to tear the rulebook. He has denied the accusation.

The bills are facing staunch opposition from some farmer bodies as well as from within the ruling coalition. Harsimrat Kaur Badal, the food processing minister from the Shiromani Akali Dal party, resigned from the government last week.

Opposition parties as well as the SAD felt the bills are the first step toward removing the MSP which will force the farmers to make distress sales to private companies.

The Farmers'' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020 seeks to give freedom to farmers to sell their produce outside the notified APMC market yards (mandis). This, the government says, is aimed at facilitating remunerative prices through competitive alternative trading channels.

Farmers will not be charged any cess or levy for sale of their produce under this Act, according to the government.

It will open more choices for farmers, reduce marketing costs, and help them get better prices. It will also help farmers of regions with surplus produce to get better prices and consumers in areas with shortages at lower prices.

The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill, 2020 seeks to give farmers the right to enter into a contract with agribusiness firms, processors, wholesalers, exporters, or large retailers for the sale of future farming produce at a pre-agreed price.

It seeks to transfer the risk of market unpredictability from farmers to sponsors.

Tomar said this legislation guarantees cultivators the price they negotiate at the time of sowing itself.

A third bill, the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill, 2020 that seeks to remove commodities like cereals, pulses, oilseeds, onion, and potatoes from the list of essential commodities and will do away with the imposition of stock holding limits, is to be moved separately.