Why is Cong pretending to support farmers but not taking up Agri laws in Parliament: Harsimrat

Chandigarh: Former union minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal on Friday flayed the Congress for supporting the farmers’ stir outside but refusing to raise the issue in Parliament.

Talking to media here, Ms Badal said it was shocking that since the commencement of Parliament session since the last two-and-a-half weeks, the Congress has been demanding an exclusive discussion on the Pegasus spyware surveillance issue daily.

“The Congress should tell the farmers of Punjab as well as the country why it is refusing to raise their voice in Parliament and is insistent on raising the Pegasus surveillance issue only,” she said.

Stating that the Congress had effectively colluded with the union government to suppress the voice of the farmers, the Bathinda MP said, “There is no other explanation for the Congress floor strategy”. She said as many as seven parties had got together to raise the demand for repeal of the three black laws but the Congress had refused to back the initiative despite being the opposition party in parliament.

She said the SAD had urged all parties to unite to take up the farmers issue forcefully but the Congress party had not responded to the appeal. “It seems the Congress party is afraid of the union government and that it why it is playing into its hand and refusing to raise the voice of the farmers in parliament”, she added.

Meanwhile, SAD President Sukhbir Singh Badal said the SAD-BJP MPs would continue their protest to demand justice for farmers for the entire session or till such time when the voice of the annadaata was heard in parliament.

“This is our only agenda. We feel the Narendra Modi government has backstabbed farmers and we will continue to press for justice for them”, Mr Badal told newsmen while protesting against the three farm laws along with SAD-BSP MPs outside Parliament.

UNI