File photo of SAD leader Sukhbir Singh Badal (Photo Credits: PTI)Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) chief Sukhbir Singh Badal has requested President Ram Nath Kovind not to give his assent to the two farm-related bills brought by the Centre.
These bills were passed in the Lok Sabha following heated deliberation on September 17."Urging President of India not to sign the Bills on farm issues - return them to #Parliament for reconsideration.
Please intervene on behalf of farmers, labourers, arhtiyas, mandi labour - Dalits, or they will never forgive us.
Democracy means consensus, not oppression.
A sad day for democracy indeed if it leads to 'annadata' starving or sleep on roads," Badal said in a tweet.On Sunday, the same bills were passed in the Rajya Sabha amid heavy protest by opposition MPs who claimed that the bills would are "anti-farmer".The bills in question are - the Farmers Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill and Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill.
Along with the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill, the three bills were introduced in Parliament to replace central government Ordinances passed earlier this year.Sukhbir Singh Badal had announced in Lok Sabha during a discussion on the bills on Thursday that SAD leader Harsimrat Kaur Badal will resign from Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Union Cabinet if the Centre decides to go ahead with the bills.
Later that day, Harsimrat Kaur Badal resigned from the post of Minister of Food Processing Industries in protest against the bills she claimed were not in the interest of farmers.The SAD, however, is still an ally of the BJP as part of the NDA.Farmers in Punjab, Haryana and other parts of India have launched massive demonstrations against the bills.
Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar and PM Modi have reiterated that the bills will allow farmers to get prices for their produce, outside of the 'mandis' or APMCs.
The bills also pave the way for what has been described as 'contract farming' to uplift and aide small farmers.