Chandigarh: Congress MLA from Fatehgarh Sahib, Kuljit Singh Nagra said on Tuesday that he was firm on his decision to resign in protest against the three “anti-farmer laws” and asked the state legislative assembly speaker to accept his resignation.
He was speaking during a discussion on the governor’s address on the second day of the assembly budget session. Nagra had announced his resignation as MLA on September 17 last year in support of the farmers’ cause, saying that he was deeply saddened by the passage of the farm bills in the Lok Sabha.
The Fatehgarh Sahib MLA said there is a need to collectively fight for the rights of farmers as Punjab has a history of fighting against any repression. He said Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh had allowed farmers to peacefully protest for their rights in the state but the BJP-JJP coalition government in Haryana led by chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar had allowed the use of police force against the “annadata”.
Raising questions on the ruling Congress party in the state, SAD MLA from Sanour, Harinder Pal Singh Chandumajra said the chief minister had failed to even seek an appointment with the Prime Minister on such an important issue as farm laws. Congress MLA from Faridkot, Kushaldeep Singh Dhillon countered him, saying that SAD MPs and other leaders had been defending the contentious central farm bills for months before quitting the Union Cabinet. He said the worst part was that the SAD also forced its nonagenarian patron and former chief minister Parkash Singh Badal to issue a statement supporting the “anti-farmer laws”, which had severely dented his reputation.
Lok Insaaf Party MLA from Ludhiana South, Balwinder Singh Bains demanded a resolution to condemn Punjab governor V P Singh Badnore for sitting on the three bills passed by the legislative assembly on October 20 last year to annul the three contentious central farm laws.