“We got arrested for defending farmers’ rights,” Harsimrat Badal tweeted
Chandigarh:
Former Union Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal was arrested as she tried to enter Chandigarh on Thursday evening as she protested against new farm laws, an issue her party, Shiromani Akali Dal, has decided on to withdraw from the National Democratic Alliance led by the BJP.
“Arrested for raising the voice of the farmers, but they will not be able to silence us,” Ms Kaur tweeted.
“We are arrested for standing up for farmers’ rights, but we are looking for the truth and our strength will not be silenced by this force,” she tweeted.
ਕਿਸਾਨਾਂ ਦੇ ਹੱਕਾਂ ਦੀ ਰਾਖੀ ਲਈ ਆਵਾਜ਼ ਚੁੱਕਣ ਬਦਲੇ ਸਾਨੂੰ ਗ੍ਰਿਫ਼ਤਾਰ ਕੀਤਾ ਜਾ ਰਿਹਾ ਹੈ, ਪਰ ਅਸੀਂ ਸੱਚਾਈ ਦੀ ਪੈਰਵੀ ਕਰ ਰਹੇ ਹਾਂ ਅਤੇ ਇਸ ਜ਼ੋਰ ਜ਼ਬਰ ਨਾਲ ਸਾਡੀ ਸੱਚਾਈ ਦੀ ਆਵਾਜ਼ ਦਬਾਈ ਨਹੀਂ ਜਾ ਸਕੇਗੀ।
Arrested for making farmers’ voices heard, but they will not be able to silence us.#IkkoNaaraKisanPyaarapic.twitter.com/zzFtt6TqqT
– Harsimrat Kaur Badal (@HarsimratBadal_) October 1, 2020
In the visuals, the former Union minister is seen surrounded by members of the police force – all masked amid the coronavirus crisis – as supporters of Akali Dal’s leader try to protect her.
The Akali Dal this morning began three separate “kisan marches” against new farms, which they say will harm the interests of farmers and allow big business to manipulate them.
Akali Dal leader Sukhbir Singh Badal led a march from Amritsar, while Harsimrat Kaur Badal came from Bathinda.
The third procession of the leaders of Akali Dal Prem Singh Chandumajra and Daljit Singh Cheema started from Anandpur Sahib.
The three groups intended to merge in Chandigarh, where they planned to deliver a memorandum against agricultural laws to the governor of Punjab, Vice President Singh Badnore.
Akali Dal, who was the BJP’s oldest ally, was the third major NDA member to withdraw from the group after the Shiv Sena and the Telugu Desam Party (TDP).
Farmers fear the laws will end the price support system or PSM and lead to the entry of private actors who they say will endanger small and marginal farmers.
Harsimrat Kaur Badal had resigned in protest as the bills were passed in parliament amid a massive outcry from the opposition and a controversial vote.
