Farmers' protest: Parkash Singh Badal, former Punjab CM, returns Padma Vibhushan

Parkash Singh Badal

Parkash Singh Badal, former Union minister and five-time chief minister of Punjab, has returned his Padma Vibhushan to President in protest against the government's decision to bring in three farm bills that have led to discontent among farmers.

The Government of India awarded him the Padma Vibhushan, second-highest civilian award, in 2015.

SAD (Democratic) chief and Rajya Sabha member Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa also returned his Padma Bhushan award, Hindustan Times reported.

Dhindsa was presented the Padma Bhushan — third-highest civilian award — by President Ram Nath Kovind last year.

The leader of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), Badal, termed the passage of the farm laws 'a betrayal of farmers by the government'. "I am who I am because of the people, especially the common farmer. Today when he has lost more than his honour, I see no point in holding on to the Padma Vibhushan honour," the SAD leader said.

Badal further said the farmers are waging a bitter struggle in the severe cold just to secure their fundamental right to life.

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SAD, in a statement, said, "Parkash Badal today returned the Padma Vibhushan award in protest against the betrayal of the farmers by the Government of India and against the shocking indifference and contempt with which the government is treating the ongoing peaceful and democratic agitation of the farmers against the three farm Acts."

SAD had earlier quit the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in protest of the contentious farm bills.

Also read: No point in holding on to Padma Vibhushan: Parkash Singh Badal

"The decision to quit the NDA was taken because of the Centre's stubborn refusal to give statutory legislative guarantees to protect assured marketing of farmers crops on MSP," SAD Chief Sukhbir Singh Badal had said in a statement.

Earlier, a group of former sportspersons had threatened to return their awards and medals in solidarity with the farmers protesting against the farm laws.

Meanwhile, the Delhi Chalo farmers' protest at border points in Delhi has entered the 8th day on December 3.  The protesting farmers, a large number of whom are from Punjab, have been holding sit-ins on the borders of the national capital. They are demanding that the government withdraw the new farm laws if it wants them to end their stir.