By Express News Service
MUMBAI: Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge on Monday alleged that the BJP’s objective behind creating the cooperation ministry was to control the rich cooperative sector of the country. He said earlier the finance-related issues were handled by the finance minister, but Amit Shah, who is the home minister, has kept the Enforcement Directorate with him.
“This means Amit Shah controls the ED to target his political opponents and silence their voices. The same thing will happen with the cooperation department. Earlier, it was part of the Agriculture Ministry, but the Centre has made it a separate ministry. Shah has been made in charge of this department too. Does it not clearly show the BJP intention? The BJP has never been able to control the cooperative sector, so they are doing it in a circuitous manner,” Kharge alleged.
“We’ll protest the decision. The government needs to protect the rural economy’s flourishing sector,” said the Congress leader.The Modi government recently created a new Ministry of Co-operation with senior leader Amit Shah heading it.Meanwhile, NCP chief Sharad Pawar said the Centre had no right to control the cooperative sector. “The Centre can control the multi-states cooperative sector, not the states’ cooperative sector. If they try to do it, then it will be an attack on federalism.” Maharashtra alone has over 200 cooperative sugar factories whose annual turnover is around Rs 35,000 crore while the cooperative milk federation and allied businesses’ turnovers are collectively over Rs 40,000 crore.
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