New Delhi: Union Minister for Food Processing Harsimrat Kaur Badal resigned on Thursday in protest against the Legislations designed to liberalize trade in agriculture commodities. She submitted her resignation at the PMO in person.

The Akali Dal’s protest to the Legislations was not heeded and it could never be a party to any decision that went against the interest of farmers, said Sukbir Singh Badal the spouse of Minister Harsimrat Kaur. He was announced her resignation in the Lok Sabha. The Akalis, who, along with Sivasena and Samata party as JD (U) was called in its earlier incarnation, are the founding members of the NDA. A total breakup of ties should not hurt BJP in Parliament, considering Akali Dal’s meager numbers, the two Badals in LS and three MPs in the Rajya Sabha.

However, coming after the bitter parting of ways with Sivasena, it will mark NDA being further whittled down. Harsimrat Kaur in her letter to PM attributed her resignation to the decision of the Government of India to go ahead with the controversial bills without addressing and removing the apprehensions of farmers and the decision of the Shiromani Akali Dal not to be a part of something that is anti-farmer. Requesting the Prime Minister to accept her resignation with immediate effect, said the Minister.

She said before, during and after the promulgation of the three ordinances, she had tried her best to persuade the cabinet to take the actual stakeholders of this decision, the farmers, onboard and remove their apprehensions and concerns.