Harsimrat Kaur Resigns: Union Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal has resigned from Modi 2.0 cabinet on Thursday, coincidentally the 70th birthday of the Prime Minister. The news comes as a major jolt to the saffron party already facing backlash from the opposition over the contentious farm bills. However, it is pertinent to note that from Shiromani Akali Dal only Harsimrat Kaur has stepped down from her post, the party is still a part of the ruling coalition NDA.

The Lok Sabha today passed Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020, and Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill, 2020.

Also Read: Union Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal Resigns From Govt To Protest Farm Bills

Kaur's resignation was announced by her husband Sukhbir Singh Badal in Lok Sabha during discussion over the bills. After an hour Kaur tweeted to confirm about her move.  She wrote on Twitter: "I have resigned from Union Cabinet in protest against anti-farmer ordinances and legislation. Proud to stand with farmers as their daughter & sister."

She tendered her resignation in a four page long letter to Prime Minister Modi. She starts the letter with:"In view of the decision of the GOI to go ahead with the bill on the issue of marketing of agricultural produce without addressing and removing the apprehensions of the farmers and the decision of my party , SAD not to be a part of anything, that goes against the interest of the farmers , I find it impossible to continue ti perform my duties as a minister of the union council of ministers."

"Accordingly, I submit my resignation as minister of food processing industries and request that it may be accepted with immediate effect," she wrote.

In a brief media interaction, the Badal couple said that the next course of action will be decided by the party.

The move comes at a time when farmers of Punjab and Haryana are protesting in large numbers over the legislations which they believe is against them. The Lok Sabha today passed Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020, and Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill, 2020.

"Theatrics," Says Captain Amarinder Singh

Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh has termed the move as theatrics and said that Badal is not concerned about farmers and is only trying to save her political future. He said: "Harsimrat Kaur’s decision to quit Union Cabinet is another in the long chain of theatrics being enacted by SAD which has still not quit ruling coalition. It's motivated not by any concern for farmers but to save their own dwindling political fortunes. Too little too late."

What are the bills:

Government has introduced three farm bills in the Parliament. about the three farm Bills. These were earlier brought in as ordinances. One of the Bills, the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill, 2020, was cleared by the Lok Sabha amid the opposition's objections. The other two bills the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill, 2020 and Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020 have also been passed. They will now be introduced in Rajya Sabha.

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