In protest against the newly-formed farm laws, Akali Dal stalwart Parkash Singh Badal returned his Padma Vibhusan award. Terming his act as ‘dramebaazi’ (theatrics), Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh wondered why he was even given the country’s second-highest civilian honour.

“I don’t know why Parkash Singh Badal got the Padma Vibhushan in the first place,” PTI quoted Singh as saying. The Punjab CM said Lt Gen Harbaksh Singh got the Padma Vibhushan for winning the 1965 war with Pakistan and mocked, “What war did Parkash Singh Badal fight or what sacrifice did he make for the community?”

Singh claimed that the former CM is now saying he has made a big sacrifice by returning the award.

“Stop politicking on this,” he said. “This ‘dramebaazi’ (theatrics) might have worked 40 years ago but it does not work now.” Earlier, the Aam Aadmi Party, the main opposition in Punjab, too had called Badal’s gesture a “drama”.

Amarinder Singh said Badal has been claiming all his life that he represents the interests of the farmers. “Then why did his party support the central ordinances after initially opposing them, and then did an about-turn and started publicly criticising the legislations,” he said.

He said as a member of the Union Cabinet Harsimrat Kaur Badal was very much a part of the meeting that passed the farm ordinances.

“Is she illiterate that she can’t read,” he asked, referring to the former Union minister and Badal’s daughter-in-law who later quit the Narendra Modi Cabinet over the contentious farm laws.

He also slammed Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal for allegedly twisting his statement on national security. The AAP had targeted Singh for linking the farmers’ agitation to national security, in remarks made after a meeting with Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

Singh on Friday said he had told Shah that the amendment bills passed in Punjab Vidhan Sabha were the solution to breaking the deadlock over the farmers’ issue.