Sukhbir  Badal appeals to Akalis  support to the December 8 Bharat Bandh call of Kisan orgs

(Asks centre not to delay decision on Kisan demands and repeal the three agri laws immediately)

Chandigarh, December 6 – Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) President Sukhbir Singh Badal today appealed to Akali workers as well as Punjabis to give whole hearted support to the Bharat Bandh call given for December 8 by Kisan organizations, saying the SAD would work assiduously side by side with the peasantry to ensure repeal of the anti-farmer agricultural laws.

Stating that the fight for justice had now become a fight of the ‘annadaata’ against the central government, the SAD President said “I am confident that the mass agitation will force the centre to bow down before the demands of the farmers”.

Sukhbir Badals said it was unfortunate that the central government was dragging its feet and deliberately delaying taking a decision on the demands of the farmer organizations. He said farmers had been protesting against the central agri laws since three months and were now holding a sit in on the Delhi border since eleven days. “Besides old persons, women and small children are part of the protest. It is extremely unfortunate that the centre has refused to listen to the voice of the annadaata and is making them suffer in the biting cold out in the open”.

Asking the centre to make an immediate course correction,  Badal said it was not right on its part to forcibly impose the three agri laws on farmers. “The central government did not discuss the provisions of the laws with farmers and now when the farmers have made it clear that the laws are not acceptable to them the government should not stand on false pride and should repeal them immediately”.

Badal also took note of the fact that even the international community was perturbed at the intransigent attitude of the central government. He said world over the right of the farmers to peaceful protest had been lauded and everyone had stressed the need to ensure the human rights of the protesters were protected. He said even the United Nations had upheld the right of people to demonstrate peacefully. He said keeping all these issues in mind; the central government should accept the demands of the farmer organizations and repeal the three agricultural laws with immediate effect.