Harsimrat Kaur Badal, the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader who resigned as the Union’s food processing minister on Thursday night, said on Friday that farmers across India are protesting against the three bills they seek liberalize agricultural markets.
Harsimrat Kaur Badal had resigned from the Union Cabinet on Thursday in protest against three “anti-farmer” ordinances and laws, which were passed by the Lok Sabha amid protests from the opposition.
“I said that the government should present the bills after consulting with stakeholders. What is politics in this? Farmers are stirring not only in Punjab but also in Haryana, Rajasthan, UP, Maharashtra. There is opposition in South India, ”Harsimrat Kaur Badal told the ANI news agency.
President Ram Nath Kovind accepted his resignation from the Union Cabinet and ordered Narendra Singh to be appointed to the additional ministry post, according to a press release.
SAD had been calling on the Center not to go ahead with the three agriculture-related bills for approval by Parliament “until all reservations expressed by farmers’, farmers’ and agricultural workers’ organizations are addressed.”
Although the new measures, which aim to free agricultural trade from restrictions, ensure a legal framework for previously agreed prices and establish a new architecture for contract farming, have been hailed by economists, farmer groups fear that they do it. lead to exploitation by large food trade monopolies.
“I have resigned from the Union Cabinet in protest against ordinances and legislation against farmers. Proud to support farmers like their daughter and sister, ”Harsimrat Kaur Badal wrote in a Twitter message.
Read also | ‘By compulsion’: the head of the Punjab Congress, Jakhar, on the resignation of Harsimrat Kaur Badal
Before his comment, the head of the Punjab unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party said that Harsimrat Kaur Badal’s resignation was the “political decision” of the Shiromani Akali Dal. Ashwani Sharma said the three bills presented by the BJP-led Center are of interest to the farming community. He said these three bills “would surely play an important role in increasing farm income.”
“Akali Dal is part of the NDA but it is a separate political team. They have made this decision for some political reasons. We have an alliance (SAD-BJP) but they are both different political teams. They (SAD) have made a political decision, ”Sharma said, according to PTI.
Read also | Agriculture Bills Passed In Lok Sabha, Farmers Protest: All You Need To Know
He added that the SAD had said they are part of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) when asked about the continuation of the alliance between the parties.
SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal had said in Delhi on Thursday that his party’s future course of action and whether or not it will remain in the BJP-led alliance will be decided at a party meeting later.
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