Another NDA Ally Quit Over Farm Laws

Beniwal and the RLP are not the first leaders and parties to withdraw support to the BJP government's NDA Alliance over the farm laws. 

Beniwal

A very strong ally of the BJP NDA alliance in Rajasthan, the Rashtriya Loktantrik Party (RLP), led by Hanuman Beniwal said it was leaving the NDA alliance today, Saturday, 26 December 2020.

The decision was made in lieu of the Modi government’s nonchalance over the nationwide ongoing farmer protests against the three farm bills that had been hastily passed.

“We won’t stand with anyone who are against farmers,” Beniwal said, addressing protesters at the Shahjahanpur-Kheda border in Rajasthan’s Alwar district.

Earlier, the Nagaur MP had announced his resignation from the three parliamentary committees in support of the farmer protests. He had planned to lead a protest today, December 26, at the Rajasthan-Harayana Border, where the decision to leave the NDA Alliance was also made.

Leader’s Supporting Farmers Against Obstinate Government

Beniwal and the RLP are not the first leaders and parties to withdraw support to the BJP government’s NDA Alliance over the farm laws.

The Shiromani Akali Dal has been BJP’s oldest ally, and the two parties have shared power in Punjab and at the Centre for a long time now.

The SAD party decided to leave the NDA Alliance back in September 26th “because of the Centre’s stubborn refusal to give statutory legislative guarantees to protect assured marketing of farmers crops on MSP,” as announced by the party president Sukhbir Singh Badal’s Twitter account.

Former Punjab chief minister and Shiromani Akali Dal leader Parkash Singh Badal had also returned Padma Vibhushan, India’s second-highest civilian award, in protest against “betrayal of farmers” by the Centre.

Shiromani Akali Dal’s leader and Cabinet Minister for Food Processing Industries Harsimrat Kaur Badal also resigned from the Union Government back in September. Announcing her resignation on Twitter she had said, “I have resigned from the Union Cabinet in protest against anti-farmer ordinances and legislation. Proud to stand with farmers as their daughter and sister.”

Former Lok Sabha MP Harinder Singh Khalsa has resigned from BJP over the farm laws too, as of 26 December. The resignation was “in protest against the insensitivity shown by party leaders & the government towards the sufferings of the farmers, their wives, and children protesting against the three agrarian laws,” reported a tweet by ANI.

Regardless, the Modi government continues to insist on the benefits of the farm laws and refuses to heed to farmers and citizens demands to repeal the three farm laws.

 

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