Harsimrat: Acknowledge martyrdom of farmers, pay compensation to families

Chandigarh, Dec 6 (UNI) Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader and former union minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal on Monday demanded that the parliament acknowledge the martyrdom of 800 farmers who died during the course of the Kisan Andolan and pay tributes to them besides granting compensation to their families.
The former minister, who had quit the union cabinet in solidarity with the protesting farmers and their cause, also demanded that Minimum Support Price (MSP) should be fixed for all crops and it should be made a statutory right.
Speaking to media persons outside parliament, Ms Badal said the House should pay homage to the martyrs of the Kisan Andolan. “We all know that these farmers laid down their lives while participating in a peaceful and democratic movement in the larger interest of the farming community, including farm labourers. The House should express solidarity with this cause and also regret the hardships the farmers had to undergo to get their just demand for repeal of the three agricultural laws accepted by the central government”.
She also stressed that the central government should give legal shape to the Minimum Support Price (MSP) regime and ensure all crops are purchased on MSP be it by government or by private agencies. She said even Prime Minister Narendra Modi had earlier, as head of a Committee championed the cause of making MSP a statutory right and the government should not delay accepting this demand.
The former union minister also demanded that the centre withdraws all cases registered against farmers in Delhi as well as other states of the country. “All this should be done speedily so that farmers can call off their agitation and return to their homes”.
When queried, Ms Badal said if the centre had listened to the SAD earlier and not gone ahead with passing the three farm bills in parliament, 800 precious lives would have been saved. She said by not listening to its alliance partner, the BJP had also spoilt its image and earned the wrath of the farming community by thrusting the black laws on it.
In an answer to another query, she said Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Convener Arvind Kejriwal should first implement the promises he was making in Punjab in Delhi. “AAP should release Rs 1,000 per month to all women in Delhi also besides implementing the scheme to give 300 units free of cost to all domestic power consumers per bill cycle in Delhi. The very fact that he has not even considered these demands for implementation in Delhi exposes the web of deceit Kejriwal is trying to weave in Punjab”, she added.