SAD withdraws statewide protest against wealth tax

Shiromani Akali Dal today postponed the proposed statewide protest, scheduled to be held on May 2, against the Centre's decision to impose wealth tax on farmers owning land within eight km of urban areas.
The decision was taken keeping in view the announcement made by Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram in the Parliament today to withdraw the wealth tax, SAD secretary and spokesman Daljit Singh Cheema said here.
The announcement to withdraw the tax is a major victory of the party as the Centre was forced to take the decision in view of massive response to the efforts of Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and his Deputy and SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal to garner support to oppose the wealth tax.

Meanwhile, opposition Congress in Punjab expressed gratitude to the UPA government for exempting agriculture land from wealth tax.
Punjab Congress spokesman Sukhpal Singh Khaira said Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda had made special efforts to convince the UPA government to adopt a pro-farmer line to exempt agriculture land from wealth tax.