PM Should Talk Directly To Protesting Farmers: Harsimrat Kaur Badal

A day before the government's eighth round of talks with protesting farm unions, Shiromani Akali Dal leader and former union minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal said the centre has lost the trust of the entire farming community and Prime Minister Narendra Modi should directly talk to agitating farmers.

"It is strange that farmers are spending nights in open in winter and even then their demands are falling on deaf ears," said Ms Badal, who party ended its alliance with the BJP-led NDA over the farm laws.

Ms Badal resigned from the union cabinet in September last year when the three farm bills were passed in Lok Sabha.

"...To avoid the situation which has arisen now and the protest, I kept pleading for months, whether it was in cabinet meetings or in direct meetings with top leaders of the central government that please listen to farmers before bringing these three bills as they are annadaatas of the country, otherwise it would lead to agitations and protests. But my pleas fell on deaf ears," Ms Badal said.

On who will be held responsible for deaths of farmers during the protest, Ms Badal said the centre has lost the trust of farmers across the country.

"Farmers are dying at the doorstep of the central government while protesting for their demands. Who will be responsible for deaths of annadaatas of the country?" Ms Badal said.

"After several rounds of meetings if ministers are unable to resolve the farmers' issues, then Prime Minister Narendra Modi should directly talk to protesting farmers," Ms Badal said.

She attacked the Congress-led Punjab government and Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh. "Both the central and state governments are equal partners in this crime against farmers. While farmers were sitting on dharna, the Chief Minister of Punjab was having fun in his farmhouse. Captain Amarinder Singh has miserably failed to fulfil his responsibilities as chief minister of Punjab and as guardian of its people," Ms Badal said.

Ms Badal was Food Processing Minister in the BJP-led NDA government at the centre and resigned when the bills were taken up for passage in Lok Sabha.