To mount pressure on Centre, Akali Dal plans to take protests against farm laws to Delhi
With a view to mounting pressure on the BJP-led Central government to revoke the contentious agriculture laws, the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) is planning to shift its agitation to the national capital.
To work out the modalities of the protests in Delhi, a meeting of the party’s core committee is expected to hold a meeting soon. “The SAD has decided to take its protests to Delhi. The schedule will be decided shortly. But we also want all the farmer bodies to come on a common platform with the Akali Dal to put a joint fight for their rights,” said former minister Bikram Singh Majithia.
The senior leadership, including former chief minister Parkash Singh Badal, party president Sukhbir Singh Badal, ex-Union minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal, sitting and former MPs and MLAs, former ministers, besides the district jathedars, and sitting and former members of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandak Committee (SGPC) will take part in the Delhi protests.
The SAD leaders will sit on a dharna outside Parliament to draw the attention of various political parties and farm bodies cross the country, it is learnt.
Chain hunger fasts likely
“Chain hunger fasts are likely besides the jathas courting arrests every day,” said a senior leader not willing to be named.
On Thursday night, police detained Sukhbir, Harsimrat and other senior party leaders when they were trying to enter Chandigarh leading protest marches from Takhts of Sikhism. They were on their way to submit a memorandum, addressed to President Ram Nath Kovind, to Punjab governor VP Singh Badnore demanding the repeal of the farm laws.
The party’s farmer wing president Sikandar Singh Maluka said since the paddy harvesting season has started, farmers can’t make themselves available for the protests in Delhi. “So we have decided to make a plan in such a way that only our senior leadership is involved in these protests,” he said.
“Also, wheat sowing will begin immediately after the paddy harvesting. The farmers can’t be troubled for at least a month,” he added.
To get in touch with regional parties
The Akali Dal has also decided to get in touch with other regional parties across the country to turn the ongoing stir into a national agitation.
“The leaders of different regional parties have congratulated us for moving out of the NDA and initiating protests for the farmers’ cause,” said Maluka.
