NCP chief Sharad Pawar on Sunday congratulated Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) chief Sukhbir Singh Badal on the party's decision to quit the BJP-led NDA.
"Congratulations to Shri Sukhbir Singh Badal President of @Akali_Dal_ and MP @HarsimratBadal_ who under the able guidance of Hon. Shri Prakash Singh Badal have let go the reins of power and authority for the noble cause of supporting farmers and labourers @officeofssbadal," his tweet read.
His tweet was, however, deleted and another post was made a few minutes later.
"Congratulations to Shri Sukhbir Singh Badal President of @Akali_Dal_ and MP @HarsimratBadal_ who under the leadership of Hon. Shri Prakash Singh Badal pulled out of NDA in a protest to Farmers’ Bills. Thanks for firmly standing with the Farmers! @officeofssbadal," his second tweet said.
SAD, one of the oldest allies allies of the BJP, decided to quit NDA over the Centre's move on agricultural bills, a week after Harsimrat Kaur Badal resigned from Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Cabinet over the issue.
"SAD core committee, in a meeting presided over by party president, decided unanimously to pull out of the BJP-led NDA alliance because of centre’s stubbornness on Agri Ordinances & its continued insensitivity towards excluding Punjabi language as official language in J&K," the party said in a statement.
"Agri Bills brought by the BJP govt are lethal for the beleaguered farmers, but SAD will continue to stand by its core principles of peace, communal harmony & guard the interest of Punjab, Punjabi in general & Sikhs & farmers in particular,” the statement quoted party chief Sukhbir Singh Badal as saying.
A tweet from Badal's Twitter account said the decision was taken because of the Centre’s "stubborn refusal to give statutory legislative guarantees to protect assured marketing of crops on MSP and its continued insensitivity to Punjabi and Sikh issues."
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