Farmers' 'victory', Akali Dal had to bow before their doorstep: Cong

Reacting to the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) quitting the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) over the farm bills issue, the Congress on Saturday said it was the "victory" of farmers that the Akali Dal had to bow before their doorstep and break ties with the ruling coalition.

The SAD is the third major party to walk out of the BJP-led coalition in the last couple of years.

Reacting to the development, Congress' chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala hailed it as a "victory" of "farmers-labourers".

"Supporters of black laws, Akali Dal, had to leave NDA and break ties with the Modi government," he said.

 

"They had to bow at the doorstep of farmers-labourers," Surjewala tweeted, tagging an old clip of Akali Dal leader Harsimrat Kaur Badal defending the farm ordinances in an interview she gave when she was a Union minister.

Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh said, "Clearly @Akali_Dal_ was left with no choice after @BJP4India exposed that @Officeofssbadal and his SAD were fully party to Anti-Farmer legislations."

"The end of the coalition is only an outcome of 3 months of deceit...of defending the indefensible and misguiding the Punjab farmer," he said.

SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal announced the decision to snap ties with the NDA on Saturday night, amid stepped up agitation by farmers in Punjab over the three legislations which were recently passed by Parliament amid Opposition protests.

Badal's wife and SAD leader Harsimrat Kaur Badal had on September 17 quit the Union Cabinet after he strongly opposed the bills in Lok Sabha, claiming these legislations will "destroy" the agriculture sector in Punjab.