Harsimrat Kaur Badal quits Modi government over agricultural reform bills

Food Processing Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal resigned on Thursday from the Modi government even as the Lok Sabha passed the controversial farm sector reform bills that allow farmers to sell their produce beyond APMC limits and paves way for contract farming.

Akali Dal is the second ally of the BJP to part ways with the Modi government, the first being Shiv Sena who quit the ruling alliance last year. Like Shiv Sena, Akali Dal was also among the earliest allies of the BJP.

“I have resigned from the Union Cabinet in protest against anti-farmer ordinances and legislation. Proud to stand with farmers as their daughter and sister,” Harsimrat Kaur Badal said.

The bitter parting of ways came during the debate in the Lok Sabha on the Farmers Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill and the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill – legislations touted as farm sector reforms by the government.

“Harsimrat Kaur Badal will resign from the government to protest the farm bills,” Akali Dal President Sukhbir Singh Badal announced in the Lok Sabha while participating in the discussion on the bills. Soon after Sukhbir made the announcement, the minister’s aide submitted her resignation to the Prime Minister’s Office.

Facing sharp attacks from Congress, Akali Dal was under pressure since the two laws were promulgated through the Ordinance route by the government on June 5.

The opposition to the laws is so severe that farmers had warned Akali Dal leaders that they would not be allowed to enter villages if they continued to support the contentious laws.

Harsimrat told reporters that she had been telling Prime Minister Narendra Modi about concerns voiced by farmers in Punjab but to no avail.

The Lok Sabha passed the two bills by voice vote amid a walkout by Congress and other opposition parties.

Earlier, Congress leaders Ravneet Singh Bittu and Gurjeet Singh Aujla made impassioned speeches in Punjabi terming the two bills as “black law” and targeting Akali Dal and Minister Badal in particular.

“I appreciate the sentiment and emotions of madam Harsimrat Kaur who has displayed her guts and gumption by opposing this draconian legislation. The three ordinances are nothing but toxic triangle,” Chowdhury said.

Besides the Congress, the bills were opposed by NCP, Samajwadi Party, TRS, BJD, Trinamool, AIMIM even as farmers had hit the streets in Punjab and Haryana against the legislation.

The opposition leaders accused the Modi government of dismantling the minimum support regime and encroaching upon the state government’s rights to govern the Agriculture Produce Marketing Committees (APMC).

Replying to the nearly five-hour debate, Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar rejected opposition claims of dismantling the MSP regime and snatching the rights of APMCs.

“Government would continue to buy at MSP rates and this bill merely gives farmers the option to sell their produce beyond the APMC limits,” Tomar said.

The Minister dubbed the opposition to the bill as political in nature, contending that the Congress had made similar promises of ushering in reforms in its party manifesto for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

Apart from BJP, the bills were supported by YSRCP, Shiv Sena, JD (U), and AIADMK.