Farmers Movement Archive

AGRI ORDINANCES: Badals betrayed Punjabis, abandoned ideology: Balbir Sidhu

Punjab health minister Balbir Singh Sidhu on Thursday accused the Badal family of betraying the interests of the state and the farmers by supporting the “anti-Punjab” agriculture ordinances passed by the Centre.In a statement, Sidhu claimed the central ordinances not only encroached upon the rights of the states but their implementation would also pave the way for the abolition of the ongoing marketing system which is ensuring the procurement of crops at minimum support price (MSP). “(Shiromani Akali Dal president) Sukhbir Singh Badal was well aware that these ordinances would damage the economy of the state but he turned his back on the farmers of the state only in the lure of a ministry,” he said.As per the Constitution of India, the subject of agriculture solely lies with the states and by issuing these ordinances the central government has violated the Constitution of India and its original spirit, the minister said. “This is not the first time that the SAD leadership abandoned its old agenda of giving autonomy to the states and supported the decisions of the Narendra Modi government which undermined the rights of the states. The Akali Dal had also supported the decision to split Jammu and Kashmir into three union territories,” he added.

Hindustan Times

26-06-2020

Chandigarh