Chandigarh: Punjab BJP chief Ashwani Sharma dubbed Friday the resignation of Harsimrat Kaur Badal from the Union Cabinet as a ‘political decision’ of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD). Ashwani Sharma however asserted that SAD is still a part of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA).
Food Processing Industries Minister Badal had resigned Thursday in protest against three farm sector bills.
Speaking to mediapersons here, Sharma said the three bills brought by the BJP-led Centre are in the interest of the farming community.
“Akali Dal is a part of the NDA but it is a separate political outfit. They have taken this decision because of some political reasons. We have an alliance (SAD-BJP) but both are different political outfits. They (SAD) have taken a political decision,” said Sharma.
Sharma was asked on the continuation of alliance between both the parties. Sharma pointed out that SAD had themselves said they are part of the NDA.
SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal had said Thursday in Delhi that his party’s future course of action and whether to stay in the BJP-led alliance or not will be decided in a party meeting later.
Sharma said these three bills would ‘surely play an important role in boosting farm income’. The Punjab BJP president pointed out that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had assured that the minimum support price and government procurement of crops would continue.
Sharma also took a jibe at the Congress who is in power in Punjab. He said the ruling party was trying to ‘mislead’ farmers over the farm bills issue in order to ‘divert attention from the burning issues like liquor mafia, scholarship scam, corruption and failure to keep its poll promises’.
