Farmers Movement Archive

SAD wants Centre to go-slow on ordinances

With the NDA government at the Centre all set to table the Bills replacing the agriculture-related ordinances in the monsoon session of the Parliament, slated to begin on September 14, the Shiromani Akali Dal, one of its constituents, has appealed to the government not to present the ordinances until all reservations expressed by farmers are addressed. The Akali Dal’s appeal has given the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party fresh ammunition to target the Badal family. SAD has so far been favouring the ordinances, asserting them to be benefiting the farmers. Congress State president Sunil Jakhar on Sunday said it was on account of their vested interests and to safeguard their position in the Central government that the Badal family had been in favour of the ordinances. ‘Vested interests’ “But now after facing farmers in villages, the party workers and other leaders have realised that the party’s political survival is at stake, and hence they have confronted the leadership of Sukhbir Singh Badal. The collective will of other leaders has prevailed on Mr. Sukhbir, forcing the party to take a U-turn on the ordinances’ issue. They (Badal family) were blinded by the need for power at the Centre by undermining the farmers interests. But now people and their party leaders have shown them the mirror and they had to change their stand,” Mr. Jakhar told The Hindu . “Also, this clearly indicates that Mr. Sukhbir is losing his grip over the party. This is the beginning of his fall and very soon, he will face stiff challenge to his authority in the party,” he said. ‘Quit Central govt.’ Terming the Akali Dal’s U-turn on the farm ordinances as ‘a cheap gimmick’ to hoodwink the farming community, Chief Minister Amarinder Singh challenged Mr. Sukhbir to quit the BJP-led Central government to prove his party’s sincerity. A statement, issued after a meeting on September 12 of the Akali Dal’s core committee presided over by Mr. Sukhbir, said it was felt that the party has a responsibility to take up the farmers’ issues with the Union government and get them addressed. The committee had pointed out that the SAD leadership had met farmers’ organisations and their representatives during the last few days. Also, it held discussions with farm experts besides taking the view of party’s grassroots workers and senior leadership, said the statement. It added that “a considered view had emerged that the Union government should not rush through with passing of the three Central ordinances till the apprehensions conveyed to the SAD were addressed”. ‘Test for Punjab MPs’ Hitting out at the Akali Dal, the Aam Aadmi Party’s Punjab president and Member of Parliament Bhagwant Mann said this session of Parliament would test all the MPs of Punjab whether they stand with or against the farmers of the State. “On the day of the introduction of the agriculture ordinance, the eyes of the people of Punjab will be on Sukhbir Singh Badal and Harsimrat Kaur Badal,” he said. Mr. Mann said Akali Dal’s latest stand on the issue had highlighted the fact that the ‘Badal family’ has been disturbed by the ground realities.

The Hindu

2020-09-14

CHANDIGARH