Shiromani Akali Dal leader Naresh Gujral speaks at the Rajya Sabha.
Demanding that the bills be sent to a select committee to address the issues raised by farmers, Gujral said: ‘We are petitioning the government over and over again so that all stakeholders can be heard. If farmers are oppressed in Punjab, Akali Dal will always support them. “
- News18.com New Delhi
- Last update: September 20, 2020 2:04 PM IST
- Edited by: News18
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Shiromani Akali Dal’s Rajya Sabha MP Naresh Gujral criticized the Center for the two farm laws in the Upper House on Sunday and warned the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party not to take farmers’ protests lightly. “Do not think that the farmers of Punjab are weak, all Punjabis are children of our gurus and we have learned from them to sacrifice themselves and face oppression,” he said as Rajya Sabha debated the bills.
Demanding that the bills be sent to a select committee to address the issues raised by farmers, Gujral said: “We are petitioning the government again and again so that all stakeholders can be heard. If the farmers in Punjab are oppressed, Akali Dal will always support them. “
Harsimrat Kaur Badal, the only SAD member in Prime Minister Modi’s cabinet to pass the bill, resigned as Union minister on Thursday in a dramatic protest against the bills. Addressing a virtual press conference here, SAD senior leader and former MP Prem Singh Chandumajra said: “It is regrettable that even after we expressed our concerns to the BJP and conveyed the sentiments of the farming community to his central leadership, he did not address the problem. “” However, we will not fail in our duty to the farmers and will continue to strive to ensure justice for them and the Punjab, “he said.
The party, which initially supported the bills, said Saturday that it is “unfortunate” that even after the party conveyed its concerns to the BJP leadership about the three land reform bills, the issue was not addressed and He appealed to all political parties to join his “fight” against the legislation. The SAD said it “will not sit still” and will take this fight to its “logical conclusion.”
Meanwhile, he also criticized Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) for allegedly betraying farmers by not opposing the passage of the bills in Lok Sabha. One of the oldest allies of the ruling BJP, the SAD has come out strongly against the three bills aimed at deregulating the sale of agricultural products.
On the other hand, questioning Akalis’ alliance with the NDA, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Saturday asked SAD to list “a pro-farmer initiative” persuaded by her with the BJP-led Center in the past six years. . Attacking Badals for “perpetuating lies” in recent days about the agriculture bills, he said they had “openly and blatantly supported” them since the Ordinances were enacted.
The prime minister, in a statement here, said that SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal and former Union minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal had been making up lies about the agricultural bills, which have been fully exposed. Did any of you call the anti-farmer ordinances once until they were introduced at the Lok Sabha? the prime minister asked Badals.
Farmers in Punjab and neighboring Haryana have repeatedly taken to the streets against agricultural laws, calling them “anti-farmers.” They have expressed their fear that the passage of these bills would pave the way for the dismantling of the minimum support price system and leave the farming community at the “mercy” of large corporations.
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