CHANDIGARH: The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), SAD (Democratic) and AAP have extended their support to Bharat Bandh called on 8 December by farmer organisations. SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal on Sunday appealed to Akali workers as well as Punjabis to give whole hearted support to the Bharat Bandh, saying that the prty would work assiduously side by side with the peasantry to ensure repeal of the new farm laws.
Saying that the fight for justice had now become a fight of the ‘annadaata’ against the Central government, Badal said, “I am confident that the mass agitation will force the centre to bow down before the demands of the farmers.”
He said it was unfortunate that the Centre was dragging its feet and deliberately delaying taking a decision on the demands of the farmer organizations. Asking the Centre to make an immediate course correction, Badal said it was not right on its part to forcibly impose the three farm laws on farmers.
Meanwhile, SAD (Democratic) president and Rajya Sabha member Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa on Sunday said that he was fully involved and supporting the agitation being waged by the Kisan unions against the centre’s recent agricultural laws. Besides his party workers, Dhindsa appealed to the general public to extend their support and cooperation to the 8 December Bharat Bandh call.
He said that farmers of Punjab had shown the way to the farmers of the country and thus, in order to intensify their struggle, the Bharat Bandh must be made a success. “The nationwide closure should give a message that the Union government should be compelled to bow down and immediately repeal these agricultural laws,” he added.
On the other hand, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Punjab president and MP Bhagwant Mann announced on behalf of national convenor Arvind Kejriwal that the party would fully support the bandh announced by the farmers. He stated that the issue is not specific to any political party, religion or community, instead, this is an issue of the nation and its farmers. He stated that the farmers are not just fighting for their own survival but they are also fighting for the survival of the country. Challenging the Modi government, Mann said that the Central government should agree to the demands of the farmers and revoke the farm laws as trying to extend the protests further would backfire on the government.
Mann appealed to the people of the country to follow their duty and support the bandh called by the farmers and make it historic. He said that there were many unholy alliances that were trying to weaken the protests as they are proving a threat to them. Converting stadiums in Delhi into prisons was one of the plans to weaken the protests, however, the Kejriwal government foiled this plan.