Harsimrat's decision to quit Union Cabinet 'theatrics': Punjab CM

New Delhi: “Too little, too late,” said Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Thursday after Union Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal quit the Narendra Modi-led government over the three contentious farm bills introduced by the BJP in Parliament earlier this week.

Singh said her decision to resign from the Union Cabinet was just a part of the “theatrics” enacted by Shiromani Akali Dal.

“Harsimrat Kaur’s decision to quit Union Cabinet is another in the long chain of theatrics being enacted by Akali Dal 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,” the Punjab CM tweeted.

Singh, who has long opposed the Centre’s proposed agriculture bills, said that if the Akalis supported his government earlier, the Centre may have considered against passing the ordinances that are ‘anti-farmer’ in nature.

Notably, Harsimrat’s resignation was announced by her husband and Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal during his Lok Sabha speech today. He said the proposed laws will “destroy” the 50 years of hard work done by successive Punjab governments to build the farm sector.

Notably, Harsimrat was the only SAD representative in the Modi government, despite the Punjab party being the oldest BJP ally. The Akalis initially supported the government’s bill but took a U-turn this week after realising the farmers’ distress in Punjab.