Day after exiting NDA, Harsimrat lashes out at Centre over agri laws

Our Correspondent

Fazilka, September 27

A day after SAD’s withdrawal from the BJP-led NDA over the contentious farm laws, former Union Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal held a massive rally in the Fazilka grain market today. A large number of farmers and party workers gathered over a short notice of a few hours, claimed SAD district president Ashok Aneja.

Harsimrat held the BJP-led Centre and Capt Amarinder Singh-led Congress government in the state responsible for the passage of the farm Bills in Parliament.

She claimed she had opposed the Bill draft several times in Cabinet meetings. According to her, she also met the minister concerned regarding farmers’ doubts and the demand to include MSP clause in the Bill, but these were brushed aside. She said she had put up descending notes on the files presented before her as the food processing minister in this regard.

Lashing out at Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh, the SAD leader alleged he was aware of the draft of the Bill as the Central Government had taken the state government into confidence and Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal had endorsed the proposal in the NITI Aayog meeting.

She hurled the Punjab Congress election manifesto on the stage and said it had also promised e-trading of crops and privatisation of mandis in Punjab and now the CM was “shedding crocodile tears”.

“The SAD and the Badal family are ready to make every sacrifice for the welfare of the farmers. A Cabinet berth and the NDA alliance are small issues. We will use every weapon to fight against it,” she said.

She urged all political parties to join hands to fight the new agriculture laws.