Rajya Sabha Member of Parliament Sukhdev Singh Dhinsa on Thursday, 3 December returned his Padma Bhushan, which was granted to him in 2019, as an expression of solidarity with the farmers’ struggle against Modi government’s agriculture laws.
Dhinsa, who is the chief of Shiromani Akali Dal (Democratic), was presented with the award in March 2019 and stated that his reason for returning the award was that it was “worthless as farmers are ignored” in the country.
The SAD (Democratic) chief is not the only political figure from Punjab to return a national award in support of the farmers.
Parkash Singh Badal Returns Padma Vibhushan
Earlier, Former CM of Punjab Parkash Singh Badal also gave up his Padma Vibhushan to lend support to struggle against “the betrayal of the farmers by govt of India", ANI reported.
On Thursday, SAD chief Sukhbir Badal also told ANI that Prakash Singh Badal had “fought for farmers for his entire life” and his reason for returning the award was “to send a strong message to the government.”
He further questioned, “Farmers don't need these laws so why is the Government of India forcing them on farmers?”
Sukhbir Badal also spoke in favour of the protesting farmers, expressing that calling them anti-national was “an insult” as they had “dedicated their entire life to the nation.”
Disputing the NDA-government and its reaction to the protests, he asked, “Does BJP or anybody else have the right to declare anybody as anti-national?...people who are calling them anti-nationals are actually anti-nationals.”
(With inputs from ANI)
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