The British Parliament will discuss the three farm laws on March 8, a statement from the protesting farmers has said. The discussion comes a month after the Ministry of External Affairs defended the laws as “reformist legislation” aimed to help the agriculture sector.
“The debate will take place on Monday at 4.30 p.m. in Westminster Hall, which is the second debating chamber of the House of Commons. A Member of the Petitions Committee will open the debate, followed by speeches from other MPs including frontbench speakers from the Opposition parties and a Minister,” said the press release.
The announcement of the debate came on a day when External Affairs Minister Jaishankar held a telephonic conversation with his U.K. counterpart Dominic Raab. Mr. Jaishankar said in a social media post that “regional and U.N. issues” figured in the conversation. The MEA did not clarify if the two also discussed the U.K. Parliament ostensibly taking up a domestic Indian issue.
Several lawmakers in the U.K. have been supportive of the protesting farmers which even prompted the High Commission to come out with a statement recently in support of the laws. Previously, MPs had tried to get official response from the Boris Johnson government on the protest by the farmers on the borders of Delhi but this is the first time that a debate has been approved by the Petitions Committee.
