Akali Dal’s Ms Harsimrat Kaur Badal from the Union Council of Ministers, offered her resignation against the agricultural bills tabled in the House earlier this week. Announcing her resignation, she tweeted, “I have resigned from Union Cabinet in protest against anti-farmer ordinances and legislation. Proud to stand with farmers as their daughter & sister.”
The three bills she was protesting against are — The Farmers Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Ordinance, 2020; The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement; and The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Ordinance, 2020 — promulgated by the NDA government.
In a statement issued by the President’s Secretariat, President of India Ramnath Kovind accepted the resignation and has directed that Shri Narendra Singh Tomar (Cabinet Minister) be assigned the charge of the Ministry of Food Processing Industries, in addition to his existing portfolios.
After tendering her resignation on Thursday, Ms Badal said, “Thousands of farmers are on the streets. I did not want to be part of the government that got the bills passed in the House without addressing the apprehensions of farmers.”
Meanwhile, Punjab CM Capt Amarinder Singh said the resignation of Ms Badal has come a bit late in the day.