New Delhi/Chandigarh: A day after the Shiromani Akali Dal exit the NDA, the Congress on Sunday dared BJP allies JDU, LJP and JJP to oppose the Centre and not to support the agriculture Bills, which it alleged were like cancer and slow poison that will kill farmers and farming.
At a joint virtual press conference, Congress’ Haryana chief Kumari Selja and Punjab president Sunil Jakhar urged all parties to come together and oppose the farm Bills while asking the Centre to take back the legislations, saying these will make farmers slaves of big businessmen .
The two Congress leaders also urged the President not to grant his assent to the Bills as farmers are on the roads against them.
Selja and Jakhar said NDA allies should support the opposition parties, the same way they extended support against the Land Acquisition Bill, which the BJP-led Union government was forced to withdraw.
On the Shiromani Akali Dal’s exit from the NDA, Jakhar said the party did not quit the ruling coalition of its own. It was forced to do so by farmers, who made it difficult for the Akalis to enter Punjab without doing so, he said.
Jakhar said the Akalis had only staged a drama of first quitting the Union cabinet and then the alliance as the BJP openly said that they were very much party to the clearing of the Bills in the cabinet.
“The resignation by the Akali minister was not given but taken by the BJP and the Akali Dal did not quit the NDA of its own but were thrown out, he claimed.
The anger of farmers and the arrogance by the BJP has forced the Akalis to buy the permit of entering Punjab by enacting this drama,”Jakhar told reporters.
Selja dared the JJP, which shares power with the BJP in Haryana, to quit the alliance and stand with farmers in the state.
The AIDMK, AGP, Apna Dal and the Rashtriya Loktantrik Party too should think what is happening with farmers, Selja said.
She said the country will not spare these NDA allies if they don’t take a stand against the anti-farmer BJP.
Congress’ Punjab president Sunil Jakhar said among the NDA allies, he expects Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar to take a lead and listen to farmers. (PTI)
