Our stir has shaken Centre: SAD

Tribune News Service

Muktsar/Chandigarh,

September 25

Terming the three contentious farm Bills as “kaale kanoon” (black laws), SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal today said the party had shaken the NDA government at the Centre over the issue and would now hold a ‘Punjab Kisan March’ on October 1 from Takht Damdama Sahib, Akal Takht Sahib and Anandpur Sahib to Chandigarh.

Lukewarm response in Bathinda

Bathinda: SAD’s parallel protest saw a low turnout at ITI Chowk here. Only a handful of leaders and workers had turned up by noon. Former MLA Sarup Chand Singla claimed, “A sizeable number of party workers and farmers participated in the protest. In the wake of Covid-19, a large gathering was avoided and only select representatives took part.” TNS

“SAD’s bomb has shaken Modi. Those who were not uttering a single word on the farmers’ issue are now speaking daily. Five Union Ministers are daily giving statements on the issue,” he said.

Sukhbir led a tractor march from his Badal village residence to the protest site in Lambi village. He lashed out at CM Capt Amarinder Singh and Congress ex-president Rahul Gandhi, terming them “anti-farmer”. “Amarinder has amended the state APMC Act as per his party’s election manifesto and ratified private mandis, contract farming and e-trading,” Sukhbir said.

He dared Capt Amarinder to come out of his farmhouse and lodge a protest against the Bills along with the farmers.

“I urge Amarinder to call a Cabinet meeting and bring an ordinance declaring the entire state as one mandi (principal market yard) to ensure the Central Bills are not enforceable here,” Sukhbir said.

Targeting state Congress and AAP MPs, Sukhbir said at the time of voting, they were not even present in the House. “The AAP is a B-team of the Congress in the state. You know some of the AAP MLAs had tendered their resignation, but these were not accepted by Captain,” he said.

Former Union Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal said it was her duty to resign in such circumstances. “Some people are saying it’s a drama. I challenge them to resign. If Amarinder is so concerned about farmers, he should also resign from his post,” she said.

Meanwhile, the SAD held protests across the state as part of its ‘chakka jam’. Addressing farmers at a protest site in Amritsar, former minister Bikram Singh Majithia said if the farming community was destroyed, the entire state would be affected.

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