SAD MP Harsimrat Kaur resigned on Thursday as she was not happy with the farmers’ bill introduced by the Union government
Bengaluru: SAD MP Harsimrat Kaur resigned on Thursday as she was not happy with the farmers’ bill introduced by the Union government.
But a day after it, in an interview with India Today, she did a U—turn by saying it was the farmers who are feeling it is against them.
"I am not calling them as anti-farmer bills. It is the farmers who are calling them as anti-farmer. First of all, let's get this clear," she added.
She also added, "It does not matter what I think. The bills have come in Parliament for the benefit of the farmers. They must believe that it is in their benefit."
However, on Thursday, after resigning, she had said, "I have resigned from Union Cabinet in protest against anti-farmer ordinances and legislation. Proud to stand with farmers as their daughter and sister (sic)."
As to why she didn’t resign earlier, she said, "I didn't resign earlier for the simple reason that I believed in trying till the very end. An ordinance can be changed and new things brought in by the time it becomes an Act. All I asked for was to send it to a standing committee so that stakeholders (farmers) could be called and their apprehensions addressed."
She also said, "Right from the time that the drafts came to my ministry for inter-ministerial discussions, I put forward my points that apprehensions of the farmers must be addressed, and without taking them into confidence, no law should be made."
Her husband Sukbhir Badal said, "They (the farm bills) will sound death knell for 20 lakh farmers, 3 lakh mandi labourers, 30 lakh khet mazdoor and 30,000 arhatiyas, besides destroying food grain procurement system established over 50 years."
But Prime Minister has reassured the farmers that the bills are meant to empower them and not snatch their rights or make their lives miserable.
Read Exclusive COVID-19 Coronavirus News updates, at MyNation.