Anti-farmers bills: SAD (Badal) urges Indian President to do ‘impossible’ thing

NEW DELHI—The Shiromani Akal Dal (Badal) Members of Parliament (MPs) led by Sukhbir Badal today called on the President of India, Ram Nath Kovind, requesting him to do a task which is presumed as “impossible” by the political analysts of India.

In a memorandum submitted to the President, the SAD (Badal) MPs urged not to grant his assent to the three farmers bills passed by the Parliament as these “endanger the very survival of farmers and other farm-related labour and trade”.

“The farmers came to the country’s rescue when the country needed them. Today, it is the country that must come to their rescue,” reads the memorandum. The delegation urged him to “act as the nation’s conscience keeper and the custodian of the Constitution” and come to the rescue of farmers, farm and mandi labour and farm traders.

However, the political analysts consider this activity of the SAD (B) a drama as the President disapproving of any bill rarely in the history of current India. “How is it possible especially when the BJP has an absolute majority in the Parliament of India and has dictatorial potential? When it is influencing the Supreme Court which is considered totally independent, how can you expect from a President who is considered as a stamp of the Union Government, that he defies any of its decision”, said Jasvir Singh, a political observer.

Apart from this, Badal is nearly silent over parting ways with the BJP and withdrawing support to its government in centre. When asked by the media persons, he said, “The core committee of the party would meet soon to decide the next course of action to take the struggle for justice to the next level.”

However, he did not talk specifically about that topic of being or not being in alliance with the saffron party, nor did he disclose the date of the meeting. On the other hand, some key SAD (B) leaders including Prem Singh Chandumajra and Balwinder Singh Bhunder have advocated the withdrawal of the support for the cause of farmers.

Notably, Badal family is criticizing the Union government but avoiding naming BJP. In the memorandum, it did so. “The memorandum also highlighted how the ruling party used its huge majority in the Parliament to bypass the time-honored democratic traditions of taking the Opposition and allies into confidence and building a national consensus on critical issues”, reads a press release issued by the SAD (B) in this regard.

MP Naresh Gujral and DSGMC President Manjinder Singh Sirsa were present on the delegation.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here