SAD quits NDA, formally joins protest against farm bills
- Senior leaders of the party said that the decision was taken after deliberations with the core committee of the party to oppose the farm bills
Days after Harsimrat Kaur Badal quit the Union cabinet to protest against the recently passed farm bills, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) on Saturday announced its decision to quit the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA), ending nearly three decade long alliance.
SAD leaders have also decided to formally join the protests against the farm bills. The party has decided to protest in all the regions of Punjab on 1 October and also meet Governor VP Singh Badnore the same day.
“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 and its continued insensitivity to Punjabi and Sikh issues,” tweeted Sukhbir Singh Badal, chief of SAD on Saturday night.
Senior leaders of the party said that the decision was taken after deliberations with the core committee of the party to oppose the farm bills. SAD leaders added that the Union government is not reaching out to farmers despite protests in Punjab and Haryana which could gather momentum in the coming days.
In the last 10 months, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has lost two of its oldest alliance partners, SAD and Shiv Sena. The only big political party which is in alliance with BJP across north India is Janata Dal (United) or JDU under Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar.
“We had no option but to quit. Even after Harsimrat Kaur Badal left the Union cabinet, there was no attempt by BJP to discuss issues with SAD leaders. All political parties in Punjab are against the farm bills. They are all standing together with the farmers and BJP is alone in the state. SAD is essentially a political party of farmers, and we stand with them,” said a senior SAD leader based in Chandigarh.
SAD leaders also expressed solidarity with farmers and extended support to all initiatives, agitation or lockdowns announced by farmers in the coming days, regardless of which organization or party starts it.
“Punjabis must remain aware of some parties' conspiracies to divide the farmers’ movement. Akali Dal is not just a political party but a movement for justice to all downtrodden people, especially those belonging to farming community. Every Akali is a farmer & every farmer is an Akali at heart so farmer families have always taken pride in being associated with it,” tweeted Sukhbir Singh Badal.
Catch all the Business News, Politics news,Breaking NewsEvents andLatest News Updates on Live Mint. Download TheMint News App to get Daily Market Updates.
MoreLess
First Published:27 Sep 2020, 09:04 AM IST
- Top Gainers
- Top Losers
- 52 Week High