Beginning to return awards against agricultural law

-Prakash Singh Badal will return the Padma Vibhushan

-Others will also return their respective awards

New Delhi on Thursday, December 3, 2020

Leaders of Punjab and Haryana were returning government awards and certificates in protest of three new agricultural laws enacted by the central government.

The initiative to do so came from former Punjab Chief Minister and Akhali Dal leader Prakash Singh Badal. Badal returned the Padma Vibhushan award he had received. Badal is a one-time NDA ally and leader of the Akali Dal. The Akali Dal was the first to leave the NDA in protest of agricultural laws.

"I am so poor that I have nothing to dedicate to the farmers so I return my Padma Vibhushan award," Badal told the media. Everything I am today is because of the farmers. I don't need such an award if the farmers are being insulted. Another Akali Dal leader, Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa, also formally announced the return of his Padma Bhushan award.

Badal sent a three-page letter to President Ram Nath Kovind criticizing the abusive treatment of farmers and said he was withdrawing the award in protest.

Earlier, Harsimrat Kaur, a leader of the Akali Dal and a member of the Badal family, had resigned from the Union Cabinet. He also announced that he was resigning against agricultural laws.