Accept farmers’ demands: Harsimrat Badal in Parliament

Appeals to the Union government to accept the farmers’ demands to save the life of farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal, whose fast-unto-death entered the 21st day on Monday

Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader and Bathinda MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal on Monday appealed to the Union government to accept the farmers’ demands, including legal guarantee for minimum support price (MSP), to save the life of farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal, whose fast-unto-death entered the 21st day on Monday.

SAD MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal speaks in Lok Sabha during the winter session of the Parliament, in New Delhi on Monday. (Sansad TV)

Raising the issue of Dallewal’s health in the Parliament, Harsimrat said Prime Minister Narendra Modi had agreed to accept all the demands of farmers while repealing the three agricultural laws four years ago.

“A promise was made to constitute a committee which would consider all the demands of farmers but despite the martyrdom of 700 farmers during the Kisan Andolan, these demands have still not been accepted.”

She said it was unfortunate that despite the Supreme Court directions to the Centre and state to persuade the veteran leader to end his fast, the Centre had deputed a low-level official, who had nothing to offer, to meet the farmers.

She added that urgent action was needed to save Dallewal’s life and to do so, the Centre should accept his demands, including MSP, debt waiver, pension for farmers and agricultural workers, an assurance that electricity tariff for the farm sector would not be increased, withdrawal of police cases and justice for those affected by the 2021 Lakhimpur Kheri violence.