SAD plans inter-party conclave on federalism

Tribune News Service

Chamkaur Sahib, October 25

The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) will organise a conclave of like-minded national as well as regional parties over the issue of the “Centre encroaching upon powers and rights of states”.

Stating this here today, SAD former MP Prem Singh Chandumajra said national leaders would be contacted in this regard in the first week of next month.

Chandumajra, who reached here to participate in the jor mela held by the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) on the occasion of Dasehra, said the recent actions of the Centre indicated the country’s federal system was being damaged and it was heading towards centralisation of powers. In the past 72 years, several attempts had been made to dilute the powers of states, and goods and services tax (GST), new education policy and farm laws were yet another attempt in that direction, he added.

On the SAD’s future strategy over farm laws, Chandumajra said his party was ready to make any sacrifice. He reiterated the SAD’s demand to bring the entire state under the Agriculture Produce Marketing Committee Act to negate the effects of the laws.