Aditi Tandon
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, July 20 

With farmers’ issues taking centre stage in Parliament and several parties moving adjournment notices in both houses seeking the repeal of the farm laws, the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) said it would boycott the all-party meeting on Covid-19 called by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday evening.

SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal on Tuesday said the party would not attend the meeting unless the government heeded and addressed the issues of the agitating farmers.

Badal said the Akali Dal had moved an adjournment notice on farmers’ issues once again on Tuesday and forced the adjournment of proceedings.

Akali Dal, Congress and AAP all have adjournment notices on the farmers’ matters today.

The house was adjourned repeatedly before being adjourned for the day.

“We have been urging the government to call an all-party meeting on farmers issues and understand the sentiment of farmers and repeal the black farm laws. Since they are not calling the meeting on farmers, we will boycott today’s PM meet,” Badal said.

Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge said the Congress will also not attend the meeting and said the PM could brief the Parliament on Covid since the monsoon session was on.

AAP will not attend the meeting either.

AAP MP Bhagwant Mann said, “Unless PM takes an initiative to repeal farm laws, we won’t let the PM speak even inside the house, what to talk of outside.”