By PTI
CHANDIGARH: Shiromani Akali Dal chief Sukhbir Singh Badal on Thursday welcomed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s announcement of repealing three contentious farm laws and said rightful agitations have always succeeded.
Modi on Friday announced that the government has decided to repeal the three farm laws, which were at the centre of protests by farmers for the past year.
“Wholeheartedly welcome the decision on repeal of 3 farming Black Laws.@Akali_Dal is particularly grateful that Guru Nanak Dev Ji’s Parkash Purb was chosen to announce it. I hope this decision unites the nation, which has seen much temper due to the protests,” Badal said in a tweet.
“I only wish the Prime Minister would have taken the decision when @Akali_Dal had raised the issue at the time of enactment of these #FarmLaws. A lot would have been different then. Now I urge @PMOIndia to take it forward by withdrawing the cases against farmers,” said Badal in another tweet.
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Later, Badal in Maur said rightful agitations always succeeded and the success of the agitation represented the victory of each and every household in Punjab.
The Shiromani Akali Dal chief, who attended the ceremony to mark the culmination of an “akhand path” on the occasion of Gurpurab at the Tittarsar Sahib gurdwara here, said Punjabis had proved their resolve by uniting as one against the ‘black’ laws, forcing the Centre to repeal them.
Badal said the victory had, however, come at a great loss.
“We have lost over 700 farmers who were martyred during the course of this agitation. Farmers braved all odds during the last one year, be it the inclement weather to pressure to lift their dharna. They, however, stood their ground and continued the democratic protest for their rights, which has been recognised as one of the most peaceful protests the world over,” he said.
Asked whether there was any possibility of forging alliance again with the BJP, Badal ruled it out and said, “We have a tie-up with the BSP and that will continue.”
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Meanwhile, former union minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal dubbed Modi’s announcement as a “victory of farmers”.
“We have received ‘apaar baksheesh’ of Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji on his Parkash Purab by the repeal of 3 farm laws. It’s a victory of farmers who withstood inclement weather, repression & defamation but stood strong. I salute the 700 farmers who sacrificed their lives for this cause,” she said in a tweet.
Hundreds of farmers have been camping at three Delhi borders since last November with the demand that the government repeal the Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020; Farmers’ (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020; and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020.
Farmers celebrate in New Delhi after PM #NarendraModi announced that the Centre has decided to repeal all three #FarmLaws.Express video | @parveennegi1. pic.twitter.com/aoeoXEI22R
— The New Indian Express (@NewIndianXpress) November 19, 2021
They have also been demanding a new law to guarantee the minimum support price (MSP) for crops.
