A verbal argument broke out between Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal and Congress MP Ravneet Singh Bittu outside the Parliament on Wednesday, 4 August, over the Centre’s passing of the three farm laws.
Calling Badal a ‘liar’, Bittu alleged that “the bills were passed by the Union Cabinet when she (Badal) was still the minister. You resigned later. They (Akali Dal) continue to indulge in drama."
To this, Harsimrat Kaur Badal replied, "Please ask them...Where was Rahul Gandhi when all that was happening. This party (the Congress) helped in the passage of bills by staging a walkout. They have to stop lying."
This comes a day after Congress leader Rahul Gandhi held a meeting in a show of unity among the Opposition, while discussing several issues, including the farm laws, the Pegasus surveillance row, fuel price hike and the handling of the COVID pandemic.
When the Congress MP was asked if the Opposition stood united against the government, he replied by saying, "What unity. They (Akali Dal) got the bills passed.”
The Akali Dal has been protesting outside Parliament over the controversial laws amid the Monsoon Session.
Harsimrat Badal’s Resignation
Harsimrat Kaur resigned as the Union minister for Food Processing to protest against the agricultural laws after they were passed in the Lok Sabha.
This was followed by the SAD quitting the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) saying the bills were not in the interest of farmers.
Meanwhile, Congress President Rahul Gandhi on 20 September 2020, had taken to Twitter to slam the bills as “anti-agriculture” and had asked how will MSP be received if APMC is finished.
Continuing the protests, Gandhi drove a tractor to Parliament on 26 July, ahead of the Monsoon Session.
The farmers protests began in 2020 and have been going on for more than seven months, with thousands of farmers agitating at the Delhi borders against the three farm laws that they claim will do away with the Minimum Support Price system, leaving them at the mercy of big corporations.
Despite 10 rounds of talks with the government, the deadlock between the Modi-led government and farmers has failed to break.
(With inputs from ANI)
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