SAD to hold 'chakka jaam' in Punjab on Sep 25 against farm bills

Chandigarh: The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), the BJP's oldest ally, on Tuesday announced road blockades across Punjab on September 25 to protest against the contentious farm bills passed by Parliament.

However, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh termed the Akalis' decision as yet another "brazen attempt" to "exploit" the sentiments of farmers and said perhaps this could even be to "sabotage" the farmers' fight at the behest of the central government.

Rajya Sabha passed the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill, 2020, during the day. It had cleared the Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020, and the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill, 2020, on Sunday.

The bills had been passed by Lok Sabha last week.

"It has been decided to hold a 'chakka jaam' (road blockade) on September 25 in Punjab against these farm bills," SAD leader Daljit Singh Cheema said. He said the party's senior leaders and workers, farmers and farm labourers would block roads in the state for three hours from 11 am in a peaceful manner.

Earlier, around 30 farmers' outfits had already given a call for a complete shutdown in Punjab on September 25 in protest against the bills.

SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal will launch a four-day state-wide mass contact programme on September 26 during which he would make party workers aware about the "adverse impact" of these bills on the farming community, Cheema said.