The opposition to three bills that seek to reform the agriculture sector is continuing to grow in Punjab. On Thursday evening, Harsimrat Kaur Badal, the Shiromani Akali Dal MP from Bathinda, resigned from the Narendra Modi cabinet.
Harsimrat was the sole Shiromani Akali Dal representative in the Modi cabinet, where she held the portfolio of minister for food processing industries.
Harsimrat is the wife of Sukhbir Singh Badal, president of the Akali Dal and Lok Sabha MP for Ferozpur.
The resignation of Harsimrat appears to have done little to appease restive farmers’ groups in Punjab. On Friday, news agency ANI quoted a leader of a farmers’ group as saying "Harsimrat Kaur Badal ji's resignation has come very late. It's to calm down anger of people."
Sarwan Singh Pandher, general secretary of the Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee, told ANI, "... if Sukhbir Badal ji realises, then he should 'gherao' the Parliament with lakhs of his workers". On Thursday, Pandher announced his group would block trains in Punjab from September 24 to 26 over the issue of the three agriculture bills.
All three agriculture bills were passed in the Lok Sabha on Thursday even though the Akali Dal opposed it. Sukhbir Singh Badal tweeted on Thursday, "Strongly opposed the 3 agriculture-related Bills in #LokSabha, as they will sound death knell for 20 lakh farmers, 3 lakh ‘mandi’ labourers, 30 lakh khet mazdoor & 30,000 ‘arhatiyas’ besides destroying food grain procurement system established over 50 years."
Sukhbir had announced on Thursday the Shiromani Akali Dal was prepared to make "any sacrifice" for farmers. He added the issue of the party continuing in the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance would be decided at a party meeting later.
Not surprisingly, the Aam Aadmi Party and the Congress, which rules Punjab, targeted the Akali Dal over Harsimrat's resignation. Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh dubbed her resignation as "theatrics", saying it is "too late, too little".
Akali Dal MP Bhagwant Mann claimed "Only after they (AAP) raised the issue, that the Akali Dal and Congress took a U-turn on the Minimum Support Price (MSP) ordinance bills."
