Former Punjab CM Parkash Singh Badal returns Padma Vibhushan

 

    Former Punjab CM Parkash Singh Badal returns Padma Vibhushan to protest "the betrayal of the farmers by govt of India"

    Parkash Singh Badal is an Indian politician who was Chief Minister of Punjab state from 1970 to 1971, from 1977 to 1980, from 1997 to 2002, and from 2007 to 2017. He is also the patron of Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), a Sikh-centered regional political party. He was the president of the party from 1995 to 2008, when he was replaced by his son Sukhbir Singh Badal. As the patron of SAD he exercises a strong influence on the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee and Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee. The Government of India awarded him the second-highest civilian award, Padma Vibhushan, in 2015.

    The Indian farm reforms in 2020 refer to three agricultural bills passed by Indian Parliament in September 2020. The bills collectively seek to provide farmers with multiple marketing channels and provide a legal framework for farmers to enter into pre-arranged contracts among other things. The bills are the Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill, and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill. On 27 September 2020, they received approval from the President Ram Nath Kovind and became acts.

    Protests against the acts picked up in November 2020. Farmers from the states of Punjab and Haryana have been the forefront of the protests. Former Punjab CM Parkash Singh Badal has written to the President that he wishes to return his Padma Vibhushan award, to protest against the new farm laws.