SAD, 6 other parties seek Prez’s intervention
Letter was signed by SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal, besides representatives of BSP, NCP, CPI-M, CPI, RLP and J&K National Congress
CHANDIGARH : The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) on Tuesday claimed to have led a seven party initiative appealing President Ram Nath Kovind to personally intervene and prevail upon the central government to discuss the demand for repeal of the three agricultural laws.
The seven parties have also requested the President to give them time to apprise him about the deadlock in Parliament due to the “intransigent attitude” of the NDA government, which is stonewalling all discussion on the three agricultural laws.
The letter was signed by SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal on behalf of his party, besides representatives of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), National Congress Party (NCP), CPI-M, CPI, RLP and Jammu and Kashmir National Congress. It has also demanded a discussion on the need to probe the Pegasus spyware issue. Former minister and Bathinda MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal said the opposition parties briefed the President that they had been moving repeated adjournments to demand discussion on repeal of the three laws on agriculture, but the government refused to allow discussion on this most sensitive issue.
The letter said a human tragedy was unfolding on the borders of Delhi with more than 550 farmers already having lost their lives during the course of the ongoing agitation. “The livelihoods of millions more are at stake due to the three agricultural laws, which have been made with the express purpose of handing over the agriculture sector to corporates, but the NDA government remains unmoved,” it read.
Two Punjab Cong MPs stage dharna inside LS
NEW DELHI: Congress MPs from Punjab Ravneet Singh Bittu and Gurjeet Singh Aujla sat on a dharna inside the Lok Sabha chamber on Tuesday after the proceedings of the House were adjourned for the day, demanding discussion on the three farm laws, besides snooping row.
As soon as the Lok Sabha was adjourned for the day around 4.45pm, both Bittu and Aujla sat on a dharna inside the chamber. The dharna was still on when the last report came in.