President Ram Nath Kovind has given assent to three farm Bills passed by the Parliament, reported ANI. These Bills were passed in Rajya Sabha last week amid Opposition’s uproar. The Opposition had requested the President not to sign the Bills.

The Bills will replace the ordinances issued by the government in June. According to a gazette notification, the President gave assent to three bills: The Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020, The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill, 2020, and The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill 2020.

The Bills have raised concerns among farmers and they have been protesting against the Bills and dubbed them “anti-farmer”.

On Saturday night, Shiromani Akali Dal, oldest ally of BJP, left the National Democratic Alliance over the farm Bills. The Opposition has alleged that the Bills were pushed through in Rajya Sabha last week in violation of the rules.

Also Read| Akali Dal exits NDA over farm bill. What it means for the national politics

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.

Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that the farmers of the country are the key to achieve a self-reliant India, during his monthly address ‘Mann Ki Baat’. He lauded them for strengthening the country’s agricultural sector.