Enact a law on MSP: SAD chief Badal to Punjab CM

Chandigarh: Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) chief Sukhbir Singh Badal Thursday asked the AAP government in Punjab to enact a law to guarantee MSP on crops in the budget session slated to start on March 1.

"MSP and assured marketing on 22 crops must be legislated into a legal guarantee by the Punjab government during the forthcoming assembly session beginning March 1," Badal said.

He claimed that "giving MSP and assured marketing on 22 crops within 24 hours of forming AAP govt" was a guarantee given by none other than Bhagwant Mann himself in the run up to the February 2022 polls.

"If the chief minister brings a legislation to make this guarantee legal, then the SAD will wholeheartedly support that legislation and I will personally go over and thank him for this," Badal said in a statement here.

Badal also appealed to the Centre to fulfill assurances given to farmers more than two years ago when they withdrew the agitation against the now-repealed farm laws.

He also urged the Centre to resume talks with the farmer unions and resolve the issue through dialogue.

The SAD chief accused CM Mann of being "responsible for the murder of a farmer" at the Khanauri border.

"Why has a murder case not been registered so far by the Punjab government for Shubhkaran's killing? Why is "Punjab da Puttar" silent on the killing of the true son of Punjab's soil by outsiders? Whose permission is Bhagwant Mann waiting to book the guilty" asked the SAD president.

Badal accused Mann of playing a "double-game" with the farmers, pretending to be their friend while actually acting as "hidden agent" of the Centre and the Haryana government.

"Bhagwant Mann kept distracting and confusing farmers by giving false hopes to them. He was merely providing time to the Haryana government to fortify their borders against farmers. I am sad that the innocent farmers walked into his trap", he alleged.

Meanwhile, SAD leader Bikram Singh Majithia also demanded a case be registered against Mann for the "murder" of Shubhkaran, besides calling for his immediate resignation.

Subhkaran Singh, 21, a native of Bathinda, died on Wednesday amid clashes between Haryana Police and Punjab farmers.

The incident took place when the farmers rushed to the barricades, several layers of which had been erected by Haryana authorities to prevent farmers from proceeding with their march, and clashed with police.

The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM) are spearheading the 'Delhi Chalo' march to press the government to accept their demands, including a legal guarantee of MSP for crops and a farm loan waiver.