Will reject central farm laws after SAD forms govt in Punjab: Sukhbir

SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal on Thursday said his party will not allow implementation of the Centre's farm laws when it comes to power in Punjab.

Badal, who presided over a core committee meeting here, also said that it was the duty of the government to ensure that farmers' produce was procured at the minimum support price for all 22 crops.

"We have been demanding that the assured marketing at MSP must not only continue but it should also be expanded to cover all the 22 listed crops. When SAD forms a government in the state, we will ensure that this demand is converted into an achievement," he said.

"When the SAD forms government in the state, we will totally reject and block the implementation of (PM Narendra) Modi's anti-farmer acts in Punjab, declare the entire state a principal market area and repeal the APMC Act 2017enacted by (Chief Minister) Amarinder Singh," Badal said here.

He said the members of opposition were shocked to see how the chief minister had allegedly defrauded Punjab by "betraying" the unanimous resolution passed by the assembly.

"This resolution mentioned that it outrightly rejected the Centre's acts and committed the state government to declaring Punjab a principal market area.But bills which were subsequently brought by the Amarinder government carried none of these provisions. He is guilty of misleading and betraying the trust of the House," Badal alleged in a statement.

He further claimed that farmers' bodies have rejected the bills brought by the Punjab government in the assembly to negate the central farm laws.

The Punjab Assembly on Tuesday had adopted a resolution rejecting the Centre's new farm laws and passed four bills, it said, will counter the contentious legislation enacted by Parliament.