AMN / Chandigarh
Akali Dal leader and former Union Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal was arrested here while protesting against the new farm laws.
Her party the Shiromani Akali Dal broke out of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance over the farm Bills.
“We are being arrested for speaking out for the rights of farmers, but we are pursuing the truth and our force will not be silenced by this force,” she tweeted.
“Arrested for raising farmers’ voice, but they won’t be able to silence us,” Ms Kaur tweeted.
Harsimrat was leading a procession which commenced from Takht Damdama Sahib at Talwandi Sabo in Bathinda.
On September 17, Badal had quit the Union Cabinet after the SAD chief had strongly opposed the bills in Lok Sabha, claiming the legislations will “destroy” the agriculture sector in Punjab.
Meanwhile, SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal along with Akali leaders, including Bibi Jagir Kaur, Bikram Singh Majthia, sat on a dharna at Mullanpur-Chandigarh border.
The Akali Dal this morning began three separate “kisan marches” against the new farm farms, which they say will harm the interest of farmers and give room for large companies to manipulate them.
Akali Dal chief Sukhbir Singh Badal has been leading a march from Amritsar, while Harsimrat Kaur Badal came from Bathinda.
The third procession by Akali Dal leaders Prem Singh Chandumajra and Daljit Singh Cheema started from Anandpur Sahib.
All the three groups intended to merge in Chandigarh, where they planned to give a memorandum against the farm laws to Punjab Governor VP Singh Badnore.
The Akali Dal, which was the BJP’s oldest ally, was the third major NDA member to pull out of the grouping after the Shiv Sena and the Telugu Desam Party (TDP).