SAD alone had stood up against centre by voting against three black laws in parliament: Sukhbir Badal

Ferozepur, August 19, 2021: SAD President Sukhbir Singh Badal while interacting with Bharatiya Kisan Union (Dakaunda) activists here today asserted that the SAD alone had stood up against the centre by voting against the three black laws in parliament even as both the Congress and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chose to abstain from voting against them.

The SAD President stopped his vehicle and went up to the BKU (Dakaunda) activists and explained how the SAD had done its utmost to thwart passage of the three farm laws in parliament and how it continued to raise the voice of farmers during the duration of the recently concluded parliament session. Sukhbir also patiently took questions from the BKU representative and answered each question successfully to dispel all their doubts.
Detailing the entire issue, Sukhbir said it was a fact that chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh was part of the seven member committee of chief ministers who framed the three agriculture ordinances. He said the chief minister had also amended the APMC Act to make it in conformance with the three agri laws passed by the NDA government.
He told the BKU representatives that in stark contrast to this the moment the three ordinances were presented in parliament then union minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal had protested against the same. “We were assured that the views of farmers would be taken into consideration and this is why we held meetings with all farmer organisation representatives to take their views. The farmer leaders told us to vote against the three bills and specifically said that we should not stage a walk out or abstain from voting. We conveyed the reservations of the farming community to the centre and also requested that the ordinances be kept in abeyance by referring them to a Select Committee but the government did not heed this advice. Subsequently me and Harsimrat Badal were the only two MPs who voted against the Bills in the Lok Sabha even as the Congress and AAP parties abstained. Following this Harsimrat Badal also resigned from the cabinet and the SAD quit the NDA alliance. Former chief minister Parkash Singh Badal also called me and said we cannot remain in any alliance which takes decisions against the interests of the annadaata”, he added.
Answering another question about the Power Purchase Agreements made with private companies during the previous SAD led government, Sukhbir  said “the PPA ‘s done in Punjab at the rate of Rs 2.86 per unit were the cheapest at the time. Moreover power delivery to the government was secured and this is the reason why Punjab became power surplus”.
Sukhbir also asked the BKU representatives to see the all round progress achieved during the previous SAD led government. He said rural development and social welfare had been the priority of the government led by S Parkash Singh Badal. “We even brought government services to the doorstep of the people through Sewa Kendras but even they have been closed”. He also disclosed that the next SAD - BSP alliance government would give priority to health and education besides ensuring that the three black laws would not be implemented in the State.