Punjab BJP kisan morcha chief quits over farm laws

Tribune News Service

Moga, October 24

State BJP kisan morcha president Tarlochan Singh Gill resigned from the party over Central farm Acts today.

Addressing a press conference here, Gill said the Centre's controversial farm Acts were not in the interest of the farming community in the state.

Gill said, “I had raised my voice within the party over the farm laws at various platforms, but no one listened to me. Therefore, I have decided to resign from the party post and primary membership.”

Influential local leader

• A former Moga councillor, Gill wields influence in urban as well as rural areas
• He was also executive member of the working committee of the BJP state unit

Urging the BJP leadership to reconsider its decision, he said the farming community and the state's economy would suffer a lot due to the new laws. "The socio-economic status of the farming community will also be hit if their produce is not purchased at the MSP," he said.

A former Moga councillor, Gill wields influence in urban as well as rural areas. He was also executive member of the working committee of the BJP state unit. Gill announced that he would support the ongoing farmers' agitation.

Pleas went unheeded

I had raised my voice within the party over the farm laws at various platforms, but no one listened to me. Therefore, I have decided to resign from the party post and primary membership. —Tarlochan Singh Gill, State BJP Kisan Morcha President

Before resigning from the party post, he held a meeting with Sukhdev Singh Kokri, general secretary of the BKU (Ekta), and other senior activists of the farm union.

Notably, activists of BKU (Ekta) have been sitting on a dharna outside his house for the past 13 days. Gill announced his resignation while addressing the protesting farmers outside his house.

Satnam Singh and Sardool Singh, who were vice-president and general secretary, respectively, of the district BJP unit, also resigned from the party.

Meanwhile, Kokri claimed that the BJP leaders had resigned due to the “political pressure” created by farmers.

In reply to a question, Gill refused to say anything on which party he would join in near future. However, rumours were doing round that he might join the Akali Dal keeping in view the upcoming Moga Municipal Corporation elections.