SAD's Harsimrat Kaur Badal slams Modi Government, says THIS panel a BIG FRAUD

New Delhi: Punjab leaders and farmer units continue to slam the Centre for the panel set up to discuss the Minimum Support Price (MSP) as assured to the protesting farmers while repealing the three controversial farm laws. The latest reaction came from Shiromani Akali Dal’s Harsimrat Kaur Badal who called the committee a fraud against the people of Punjab. “This committee is a sheer fraud to the people of Punjab. In this committee, there is neither government of Punjab nor any representative from Punjab agricultural university. We demand that this committee should be reconstituted,” ANI quoted Kaur as saying.

This committee is a sheer fraud with the people of Punjab. In this committee, there is neither govt of Punjab nor any representative from Punjab agricultural university. We demand that this committee should be reconstituted: SAD leader Harsimrat Kaur on Govt formed MSP committee pic.twitter.com/EKt2ExFpeA

— ANI (@ANI) July 21, 2022

The government on Monday formed a committee on minimum support price (MSP), eight months after it promised to set up such a panel while withdrawing the three contentious farm laws. It was one of the conditions by the protesting farmers to call off their year-long demonstrations.

Former agriculture secretary Sanjay Agrawal will be the chairman of the committee with 26 members including farmer representatives.

Following the outrage, the Centre has made a provision to include three members from the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM), an umbrella body of farmer unions, in the panel. However, the SKM said they will not join the panel.

Bhagwant Mann reacts to MSP panel

Earlier, Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann, who is in hospital in Delhi, slammed the Centre for not giving Punjab a representation in the committee formed on MSP, saying the panel without any farmers from the state will be like a "body without a soul".

In a statement, the chief minister said farmers of Punjab have been ignored because the BJP-led NDA government does not want to give a platform for them to air their views and termed it a discriminatory move.

Punjab's stiff opposition to the draconian farm (now-repealed) laws has unnerved the Modi government, he said.

This dictatorial attitude is unacceptable and unwarranted as, without Punjabi farmers, the committee hardly has any relevance," Mann said, adding that without the state's representation the committee will be like a body without a soul.

(With inputs from agencies)