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

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.

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. 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 jam' (road blockade) on September 25 in Punjab against these farm Bills," SAD leader Daljit Singh Cheema said. He said the party's senior leaders, workers, farmers, and farm laborers would block roads in the state for three hours from 11 am peaceful.

Notably, around 30 farmers' outfits have already given a call for a complete shutdown in Punjab on September 25 in protest against the Bills. Party chief Sukhbir Singh Badal would launch a four-day state-wide mass contact program on September 26 during which he would make party workers aware of the "adverse impact" of these Bills on the farming community, Cheema said.

He added that on October 1, the party leadership would present to the Punjab governor a memorandum addressed to President Ram Nath Kovind. An appeal would be made to take back these Bills, Cheema said. A Shiromani Akali Dal delegation on Monday had urged the President to come to the rescue of farmers and farm laborers by not giving his assent to the Farm Bills.

Last week, SAD leader and Bathinda MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal had resigned from the Union Cabinet in protest against the Bills.