SAD leader Harsimrat Kaur Badal briefly hospitalised following breathing difficulties
Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Harsimrat Kaur Badal was admitted to the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education & Research in Chandigarh, on Saturday after she complained of breathing issues. She was discharged soon after. Badal has tested negative for the novel coronavirus. The SAD leader had resigned from the Union Cabinet in September in protest against three farm sector bills, which later got the President's assent after being passed by Parliament.
She was housed in an isolation room in the emergency ward. Her vitals were found stable and she was being examined as per COVID-19 protocols.
Earlier on November 24, the SAD leader had accused the Central government of treating the farmers as the enemy of the state. She had also condemned the use of force to stop them from marching towards Delhi in protest against the Centre's farm laws.
The Centre should not adopt a policy of confrontation with farmers. It should instead talk with them and resolve their grievances, Badal had said.
"Using force against farmers on Constitution Day has turned the day a 'black day' for 'annadattas' of the country," the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader said.
"The BJP-led central government is treating farmers as an enemy of the State. We witnessed the same treatment when Punjabis were stopped from going to Delhi during the Asiad Games. Such repressive tactics can have very dangerous repercussions as we have seen in the past," Badal said.
Badal's remarks come after tension spiralled at the Shambhu interstate border as the Haryana police used water cannons and teargas to disperse hundreds of farmers from Punjab who broke barricades, throwing some into the river, determined to enter the state as part of their 'Delhi Chalo' march against the farm laws.
"Farmers' voices stifled, water cannons used on annnadata!" she tweeted and appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to direct Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar to let farmers march on peacefully to convey their issues to the Centre in Delhi.
