New Delhi: Former five-time Punjab Chief Minister and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) Prakash Singh Badal returned Thursday the Padma Vibhushan award. It is India’s second highest civilian award. Prakash Singh Badal was conferred the award in 2015. He did so as a mark of support to the ongoing anti-farm law protests.
In a statement, Badal described the laws as ‘the betrayal of farmers’ by the Indian government. SAD incidentally was one of the oldest allies of the BJP with their association lasting well over two decades. In September SAD severed the ties with the BJP when the farm laws were passed. Then central minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal, who was the only SAD representative in the central government, had resigned from office in protest against the legislations. Incidentally Harsimrat is the daughter-in-law of Prakash Singh Badal. A few days later SAD too, formally announced it was no longer a part of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA).
A number of sportspersons from Punjab also have threatened to return their awards if the farmers’ demands were not met. Farmers have been protesting against the new agri laws since September. Last week they started marching towards the national capital and have been camping on its outskirts for eight days now. They have threatened to block Delhi ‘from all sides’ if the laws are not repealed.
So far three rounds of talks have taken place between the farmers’ unions and the government. The last round of discussion took place Tuesday, but it proved to be inconclusive. The Centre wanted to set up a committee to look into the farmers’ grievances, but the proposal was rejected by the farmers’ bodies. They demanded that the new laws be repealed. The fourth round of talks is scheduled to take place later Thursday.
Agencies