CHANDIGARH: Shiromani Akali Dal (Democratic) president, Rajya Sabha member and former Union minister Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa has returned the Padma Bhushan award to protest against the Central farm laws. Earlier, on Thursday, SAD patron and former Punjab CM Parkash Singh Badal had also returned Padma Vibhushan on the same issue.
Dhindsa, in a letter to President Ram Nath Kovind, said that those very farmers of Punjab, who played most crucial role in making India self-sufficient in its food requirements, are now sitting on the border of Delhi to impress upon the Government of India to take back the three farm laws.
He further wrote, “It has been causing me immense pain and anguish that first force was used against the farmers as they started their march to reach Delhi. Despite all the provocations by Haryana Police they remained completely peaceful. Now lakhs of them, including the elderly men, women and children, are spending days and nights under the sky on the roads or grounds.”
“What our people are facing has been haunting me. Whatever I have achieved in my life is blessing of people my state and when thousands of them are suffering and have to stay on roads to impress upon the Government of India to meet their very just demands, millions of others are passing through mental agony, I think the least I can do is to return the Padma Bhushan award bestowed on me in 2019 to express solidarity with my people and to protest against the treatment being meted out to them,” Dhindsa wrote in the letter to President Ram Nath Kovind.
He further said in the letter, “I have always remained indebted and grateful to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government for bestowing this great honour on me but now when people of my state and community are facing vilification campaign and hostile attitude—which can further lead to unleashing of hate campaign against them with dangerous consequences—I shall rather prefer to be with my people.”
