In Punjab, Akali Dal's begins three separate 'kisan marches' against farm bills begin

The Shiromani Akali Dal on Thursday began three separate 'kisan marches' from the three religious Takhts in Punjab to Chandigarh against the new farm laws.

SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal is leading one of the marches which started from the Akal Takht in Amritsar while his wife and former union minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal is leading another procession which commenced from Takht Damdama Sahib at Talwandi Sabo in Bathinda.

The third procession is led by senior Akali leaders Prem Singh Chandumajra and Daljit Singh Cheema from Takht Keshgarh Sahib in Anandpur Sahib.

The processions from the three Sikh Takhts will reach Chandigarh later in the day where the SAD leadership will hand over a memorandum against the farm laws to Punjab Governor V P Singh Badnore.

Addressing the media in Amritsar, Sukhbir Singh Badal said his party wanted a rollback of the farm bills and that the farming community was against the "black laws". The 'kisan marches' by the SAD, which are being seen as the party's show of strength, are being organised days after the Akalis quit the National Democratic Alliance over the bills.

Last week, the SAD had announced to part ways with the NDA, the third major party to walk out of the BJP-led coalition in the last couple of years.

On September 17, Harsimrat Kaur 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.

President Ram Nath Kovind on Sunday gave assent to the three contentious bills -- Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill; Farmers' (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill; and Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill.

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