SAD, BSP MPs protest outside Parliament
Demand repeal of the Centre’s three contentious agri laws passed by the House last year
CHANDIGARH: Members of Parliament (MPs) from the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) on Monday staged a protested outside Parliament, seeking the repeal of the three farm laws passed by the House last year.
Earlier in the day, an adjournment motion moved by SAD MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal, seeking discussion on the laws, was rejected by the Lok Sabha speaker. On Sunday, Harsimrat had called for all opposition political parties to support the motion for the cause of peasantry.
On coming out of Parliament in protest, SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal condemned the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) for turning down the motion, demanding repeal of the three farm laws in keeping with the sentiments of the farming community of the country.
Sukhbir was joined by Harsimrat, along with the MPs of BSP, including party’s national general secretary Satish Mishra. They asserted the SAD-BSP alliance would continue to protest till the three farm laws were repealed.
“The issues raised by the farmers be discussed in Parliament and accepted by the union government,” said Sukhbir, talking to reporters outside Parliament.
He added, “Over 500 farmers have been martyred. It is unfortunate that obituaries were not paid to the farmers in Parliament.”
Sukhbir claimed that instead of listening to farmers, the Centre had tried to defame and repress the peaceful movement. “Even now no attempt is being made to talk to farmers and resolve their grievances. Such an attitude does not hold well for a democracy,” he said.
According to Sukhbir, the new farm laws were a brazen violation of the spirit of federalism as envisaged in the Constitution, because farmers feel that the laws were designed to pave the way for corporate takeover of agriculture.
Dhindsa also moves motion
Shiromani Akali Dal (Sanyukt) president and Rajya Sabha Member Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa moved adjournment motion for an urgent matter concerning the farmers to be heard. He has moved an adjournment motion notice in Parliament for Tuesday.
In the motion, Dhindsa demanded that the rest of the work in Parliament should be stopped and the issue of farmers should be resolved on priority. He appealed to the MPs not to boycott or walk out of Parliament, but raise the voice of farmers inside the House.