Shiromani Akali Dal pulls out of BJP-led NDA alliance over farm bills

Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) has decided to pull out of BJP-led NDA alliance after the Centre refused to give statutory legislative guarantees to protect assured marketing of farmers crops on MSP and its continued insensitivity to Punjabi and Sikh issues, reported ANI quoting SAD.

The Shiromani Akali Dal, one of the oldest allies of the BJP, said it was quitting the NDA over their differences on three controversial farm sector bills enacted earlier this month.

Akali Dal chief Sukhbir Singh Badal had requested President Ram Nath Kovind to “please stand by farmers” and not sign off on the laws. The SAD was earlier supporting the bills. 

Badal’s wife and SAD MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal resigned from the Union Cabinet last week. 

A day after resigning from Union Cabinet in protest against farm bills that was passed in the Lok Sabha, she said that she is “saddened” that her voice in support of farmers was not heard. She further demanded that the government should pause on these legislations by referring them to a parliamentary panel for wider consultations.

“I left my mother in ICU in the hospital to fulfill my duty to attend Parliament debate on these three legislations and register my protest. Thereafter I resigned in protest against these proposed legislations,” Badal was quoted by PTI as saying.