Shiromani Akali Dal breaks away from BJP-led NDA

The Shiromani Akali Dal on Saturday night broke alliance with the BJP led National Democratic Alliance NDA) on the issue of farm legislations against which farmers were protesting across the nationa. The party’s core committee took the decision after a four hour long meeting.

SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal announced partying ways with the BJP after a marathon four hour long meeting of the SAD core Committee here.

He said the core committee at its emergency meeting here tonight decided unanimously to pull out of the BJP -led NDA alliance because of the centre’s stubborn refusal to give statutory legislative guarantees to protect assured marketing of farmers crops on MSP and its continued insensitivity to Punjabi and Sikh issues like excluding Punjabi language as official language in Jammu and Kashmir.

Addressing media persons , party Sukhbir Singh Badal said that SAD will continue stand by its core principles of peace, communal harmony and guard the interest of Punjab, Punjabi in general and Sikhs and farmers in particular

He described that the decision has been taken in consultation with the people of Punjab especially party workers and farmers.

Badal said that the Bills on agricultural marketing brought by the BJP government are lethal and disastrous for the already beleaguered farmers.

He said the SAD was the oldest ally of the BJP but the government did not listen to it on honouring the sentiments of farmers.

Ex-MP Prof. Prem Singh Chandumajra said the Akalis were forced to first leave the Union Cabinet and now the NDA as the BJP led alliance was obstinate and stubborn over bringing the farm legislations despite protests by farmers, opposition and the Akali Dal.

SAD patriarch Parkash Singh Badal was among the main founder members of the NDA. The Akalis and the BJP had contested elections in Punjab together for three decades.