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Bharatiya Janata Party leader Anil Sarin on Sunday said that Shiromani Akali Dal has quit National Democratic Alliance out of "political compulsions" over the passage of farm bills in the Parliament.
He further slammed the Opposition for allegedly "misleading" people over the issue of agriculture reform Bills.
"They have come out of the alliance with the NDA due to their political compulsion. They have withdrawn their support because of the present condition of Punjab. I disagree with them that the farm bills were passed all of a sudden and their consent was not taken. It was first discussed by the Cabinet leaders in which Harsimrat Kaur Badal was also present," he said.
"Some of the Opposition party leaders are misleading people on these farm bills. As per these bills, the minimum support price will not be taken away. It will remain the same," Sarin added.
The Shiromani Akali Dal had on Saturday quit the National Democratic Alliance over the farm bills issue, the third major party to walk out of the BJP-led coalition in the last couple of years.
SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal had announced the decision to snap ties with the NDA, amid stepped up agitation by farmers in Punjab over the three legislations which were recently passed by Parliament amid opposition protests.
Badal's wife and SAD leader Harsimrat Kaur Badal had on September 17 quit the Union Cabinet after he strongly opposed the bills in Lok Sabha, claiming these legislations will "destroy" the agriculture sector in Punjab.
Echoing Sarin, dissident Akali leader Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa said the SAD snapped ties with the NDA “out of compulsion” as farmers were angry with it over the farm bills.
“They (SAD) have done it out of compulsion as farmers are upset with them,” Dhindsa, a Rajya Sabha member, said.
He said the Akali Dal initially supported the bills with even party stalwart Parkash Singh Badal speaking in the favour.
“They then took a U-turn, saying it is not in the interest of farmers. Were these bills not bad for farmers earlier?” the dissident Akali leader said.
“They have lost support at the ground level in the state,” he alleged.
Dhindsa, who had formed the SAD (Democratic) party, said his political outfit has been supporting farmers from the beginning over the issue.
“From the day one, we have been supporting farmers and standing with them. Our party wants the issue to be resolved at the earliest,” he told PTI.
Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa, along with his son and former state finance minister Parminder Singh Dhindsa, was expelled from the SAD in February this year over “anti-party” activities.
With inputs from PTI