U-turn in 10 days? Harsimrat Kaur Badal's Sept 7 video hailing farm ordinances emerges

While outlining the reasons for her resignation from the Union Cabinet on September 17, Shiromani Akali Dal leader Harsimrat Kaur Badal stated that she could not go against the interest of the farmers. She lamented that the Centre did not take farmers on board despite her best attempt to persuade the Union Cabinet in this regard. The SAD had not publicly opposed The Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Ordinance, 2020, The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Ordinance, 2020 and The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Ordinance, 2020 promulgated on June 5.

However, it has now emerged that she had vociferously backed the three farm ordinances just 10 days before her resignation. In a Facebook video dated September 7, Badal urged Punjab CM Amarinder Singh to not mislead the farmers over the Centre's ordinances on "agricultural reforms". She pointed out that not a single farmers' union had protested in the country, including neighbouring Haryana. According to her, Singh's demand for the withdrawal of the ordinances was a ploy to "divert attention" from the alleged involvement of his ministers in the seed scam, SC scholarship scam, and the hooch tragedy.

Watch the full video here:

Read: Andhra Cong Submits Memorandum To Guv Against Farm Acts; Stages Protest Outside Raj Bhawan

In the video, Badal also referred to former Punjab CM Parkash Singh Badal's assurance to the farmers on the Centre's legislation. She also showed the letter written by Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar to SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal. This letter contained an assurance from Tomar that the Minimum Support Price and government procurement system will continue.

Moreover, the then Union Minister highlighted that the Centre had paid Rs.29,000 crore to the farmers in Punjab after procuring grain. Additionally, she drew attention to the fact that the Congress government in Punjab had already implemented a majority of the provisions of the ordinances via a bill passed in August 2017. It is pertinent to note that the SAD pulled out of the NDA on September 26 after the bills were passed by the Parliament. 

Read: Farmers Supportive Of Centre's New Agri Laws, Says Maha BJP MP

What are the new agrarian laws?

The Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020 aims at freeing the farmers from the constraints of the state Agriculture Produce Market Committees whereby they would be able to sell their produce anywhere. Meanwhile, The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020 protects and empowers farmers to engage with processors, wholesalers, large retailers, exporters for farm services. This entails the provision of contract farming. On the other hand, The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020 specifies that the supply of foodstuffs including cereals, pulses, potato, edible oilseeds, and oils shall be regulated only under exceptional circumstances such as war, famine, extraordinary price rise, and natural calamity of a grave nature. 

Read: Opposition Parties Creating Fear Among Farmers Over New Farm Laws: Jitendra Singh