BJP faces revolt in Punjab, over 48 leaders join Akali Dal amid farmers' protest over Acts

As farmer protests continue in Punjab, over four dozen BJP leaders at including state and district level office bearers joined its ex-ally Shiromani Akali Dal on Wednesday. The leaders belonging from Nabha, Khanna and Mukerian assembly were welcomed by party chief Sukhbir Singh Badal who said that 'they will get due respect in the party'. The new joinees include two prominen faced from Nabha - Sanjeev Sood and Bira Ram, Sarbdeep Singh, Parmjit Sharma from Khanna and Anil and Ramesh Thakur from Mukerian, according to ANI.

Coronavirus LIVE Updates: Recovery crosses 63 lakhs; Mulayam Singh Yadav tests COVID+ve

48 BJP leaders join Akali Dal 

Harsimrat Kaur Badal calls Centre's talks with 29 farm leaders 'sham'; lauds their walkout

Farmers walk out

Earlier in the day, leaders of 29 farmer unions who were invited by the Centre, walked out of a meeting with Agriculture Secretary to discuss the recently enacted Farm Laws. Expressing dissatisfaction with the absence of politicians in the talks, the leaders tore copies of the laws outside Krishi Bhavan. Ex-Union Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal lauded the leaders' decision to walk out of talks, terming it a 'sham'. Stating that the inspite of MoS Kailash Choudhary has been deputed by the Centre to explain farmers about the benefits, she said that only a bureaucrat interacted with the leaders.

Row over Farm laws: SAD to gherao Punjab CM's residence if Assembly session isn't convened

Akali Dal's ultimatum to Punjab CM

Protests continue to surge across the nation against the Farm Acts - with Akali Dal flagging protests in Punjab and Congress planning massive protests across the nation. The Akali Dal which recently held two massive ‘Kisan March’ in Punjab, has given CM Capt Amarinder Singh has given an ultimatum to the Congress government in Punjab to convene a special session of the Assembly in 7 days' time. Akali Dal chief Sukhbir Singh Badal has demanded the Punjab government to declare the entire state as a "notified mandi", reject the three Farm Acts passed by Parliament and repeal its amended APMC Act of 2017. 

Punjab CM asks Rahul Gandhi to scrap 'black' Farm laws once he becomes Prime Minister

SAD chief Sukhbir Badal & ex-Union Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal along with other Akali Dal leaders were detained by Chandigarh administration two weeks ago in Amritsar and Bathinda respectively for holding massive tractor rallies. Harsimrat Badal had resigned from her cabinet post and Akali Dal snapped its 35-year ties with the BJP, protesting against the Farm Laws. While several states like Punjab, Maharashtra, Telangana, West Bengal, Chhatisgarh have pledged to 'not implement these laws', President Ram Nath Kovind has given his assent to all three Farm Bills passed by the Parliament.