Parkash Singh Badal returns Padma Vibhushan Award over ‘betrayal of farmers’
Parkash Singh Badal returns award: “I am who I am because of the people, especially the common farmer. Today when he has lost more than his honour, I see no point in holding on to the Padma Vibhushan honour,” SAD leader said in a statement.
New Delhi: Parkash Singh Badal, veteran Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader and former Punjab CM returned his Padma Vibhushan award on Thursday, to protest against Centre’s farm laws and ‘subsequent betrayal of farmers’.
“I am who I am because of the people, especially the common farmer. Today when he has lost more than his honour, I see no point in holding on to the Padma Vibhushan honour,” the Shiromani Akali Dal leader said.
“Parkash Badal today returned the Padma Vibhushan award in protest against the betrayal of the farmers by the Government of India and against the shocking indifference and contempt with which the government is treating the ongoing peaceful and democratic agitation of the farmers against the three farm Acts,” a SAD statement said.
Badal said the farmers are waging a bitter struggle in the severe cold just to secure their fundamental right to life.
Parkash Singh Badal (former Punjab CM) fought for farmers for his entire life. He returned his award to send a strong message to the government. Farmers don’t need these laws so why the Govt of India is forcing them on farmers?: Shiromani Akali Dal chief Sukhbir Badal to ANI https://t.co/b3kieAhllF pic.twitter.com/cyhrsfHnbw
— ANI (@ANI) December 3, 2020
SAD, one of the oldest constituents of National Democratic Alliance (NDA), broke ties with BJP in Sept 2020 and pulled out of the alliance to protest new farm legislations enacted by the Central government.
SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal had blamed Centre’s stubborn refusal of govt to give statutory legislative guarantees on MSP of crops for the break-up.