Akali Dal to form national front to raise farmers’ rights with Centre

The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) has decided to form a national front of regional parties to raise the issue of farmers with the Centre and stage nationwide protests against the three farm bills.

Announcing the party’s decision on Monday, senior leader and former MP Prem Singh Chandumajra said, “In the coming week, we are going to organise a national front of regional parties in which parties from all across the country will be invited so that a big movement can be launched.”

Chandumajra was in Khatkar Kalan to pay tributes to freedom fighter Bhagat Singh.

He said the party’s stand for farmers in the time of crisis has earned it the support and appreciation of several regional leaders and that it was time to leave past differences behind and support the farmers’ cause.

“Dr Farooq Abdullah of the J&K National Conference, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee, Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik and NCP’s Sharad Pawar have congratulated us and hailed our stand on the farmers’ issues,” he said.

SAD, the oldest ally of BJP in the NDA government left the government after the Parliament passed the three contentious farm bills. The bills have become legislations after getting the assent of the President.

Farmers, however, have been hitting the streets, staging road and rail bandhs, against the laws. They fear the legislations which allows farmers to sell their produce to anyone at competitive prices, will do away with the minimum support price fixed by the government.