A long time strongest ally of Bhartiya Janata Party led National Democratic alliance, Akali Dal has pulled out of NDA on Saturday protesting against the passing of controvertial three farm bills terming them as anti farmer and pro big business houses thus working against the interests of Punjab and Punjabies.
Just three days ago the union food processing minister Harsimrat Kaur had also quit in protest against the passing of these farm bills complaining against the BJP led NDA government for not consulting Akali Dal, an important ally, before introducing n arbitrarily passing these bills in both the houses of parliament terming them as against the farmers’ interest helping the richest of the rich business houses.
According to the president of Akali Dal, MP from Ferozpur n former Punjab CM Sukhbir Singh Badal, this decision was taken on Saturday by the highest decision making core committee of Akali Dal unanimously.
In his tweet Sukhbir Singh has written: Shiromani Akali Dal core committee decides unanimously to pull out of the BJP led NDA because of the centre’s stubborn refusal to give statutory legislative guarantees to protect assured marketing of crops on MSP ( maximum support price) and its continuous insensitivity to Punjabi and Sikh issues.
While supporting the Bharat Bandh n subsequent farmer protests against the union government’s farm bills, Sukhbir Singh Badal in his another tweet wrote : @ Akali Dal expresses full solidarity with farmers and extends support to all initiatives, agitation or Bandh announced by farmers regardless of which organisation or party starts it . But punjabies must remain aware of some parties’ conspiracies to divide the farmers movement.
While addressing Akali Dal workers n farmers in large numbers after taking the formal decision to pull out of the NDA Sukhbir Singh Badal left no stone unturned to take on his bete noire Captain Amrinder Singh by challenging him in his speech n then tweeting : Instead of being obsessed with Akali phobia day and night n indulging in petty mudslinging against the opponents, @capt_amribder must act to safeguard the farmers. He must call a special session of Vidhan Sabha and repeal the amendments made by his government in state APMC Act in 2017.
After this latest development so far three political parties have pulled out of NDA viz Akali Dal, Telegu Desam Party and Shiv Sena giving a huge rebuff to the saffron party.
Saturdays bandh called by all the anti BJP opposition parties in various states of the country opposing the three farm bills terming them as anti farmer and pro capitalists was a grand success say political analysts with Congress, all left parties, TMC, Akali Dal, Shiv Sena, NCP, BSP regional parties etc supporting hundreds of farmer organisations opposing them tooth n nail.
The prime minister Narendra Modi has accused the opposition parties of creating chaos in the country by misguiding the farmers terming these bills as pro farmer guaranting them economic prosperity and secured future protecting their every interest in all earnestness.
Harsimrat Kaur of Akali Dal who recently resigned from prime minister Narendra Modi’s cabinet protesting against farm bills said that I have performed my duty as a daughter of Punjab by resigning from the ministry after realising that the misgivings of the farmers were not being addressed.
However she taunted, passing a remark on Punjab CM Amrinder Singh tweeting that he should immediately resign as he had backstabbed the Punjab farmers by keeping silent on these anti farmers ordinances the information about which was given to him months before by the union government. He opted to remain silent rather then protecting the interests of the farmers tweeted Harsimrat Kaur.
