Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday hailed the passage of the two contentious farm bills in the Rajya Sabha and congratulated all farmers. He was speaking at a virtual event after inaugurating ‘Ghar Tak Fibre’ scheme and other development projects in Bihar.

He said that the bills were the need of the 21st century and will help increase the farmers’ income.

“These bills will empower farmers to freely trade their produce anywhere. I want to make it clear that these bills are not against the agriculture mandis. They were the need of the present hour and our government has brought this reform for the farmers. Farmers can sell their produce wherever they see more profit,” said PM Modi.

The Prime Minister reiterated his assurance regarding the system of minimum selling price (MSP) and said that it will continue unhindered. “I want to assure every farmer that the Minimum Support Price system will continue as before,” he said.

Eight opposition MPs — Trinamool Congress floor leader Derek O’Brien, the AAP’s Sanjay Singh, Congress leaders Rajeev Satav, Syed Nasir Hussain and Ripun Borah, CPI(M)’s KK Ragesh and Elamaram Kareem and Trinamool’s Dola Sen — were suspended from the Rajya Sabha for a week under Rule 256(2) on Monday for their “unruly behaviour” a day earlier.