Another jolt to centre; RLP convenor Hanuman Beniwal announces split from NDA over farm laws

Jaipur: Rashtriya Loktantrik Party (RLP), on Saturday made an official announcement to break its ties with the National Democratic Alliance, as its demand to withdraw the contentious farm laws remained unfulfilled.

Hanuman Beniwal, RLP convenor and MP from Nagaur in Rajasthan, announced the decision to sever ties with the NDA at the Shahjahanpur-Kheda border in Alwar district in the presence of thousands of farmers.

"I am not stuck with Fevicol with the NDA. Today, I separate myself from the NDA," Beniwal declared.

Noting that he have left the alliance in protest against the three farm laws which are anti-farmer, he clarified that he will not forge an alliance with the Congress,even though he have left the NDA. He also added that he will resign from the Lok Sabha as well if the Centre does not roll back the farm laws.

Earlier on December 19, Beniwal had resigned from three Parliamentary committees in support of the farmers' movement.

RLP's decision to pull out of the NDA came as a second jolt to the NDA in three months. On September 26, the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), one of the oldest allies of the BJP, had quit the NDA after differences over the three farm laws.

On Saturday morning, minutes before starting a march with thousands of farmers towards Delhi, Beniwal had made it clear that this was the moment of clarity and the BJP will have to decide fast now that the farmers' crisis has stretched beyond a month.

On Friday, Beniwal had announced a march to Delhi in support of farmers organisations holding a protest against the contentious laws. Farmers from Rajasthan have been protesting in Shahjhanpur near the Rajasthan-Haryana border on the Jaipur-Delhi highway for 14 days

Beniwal had earlier written to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, threatening that he would reconsider his alliance with the BJP if the farm laws were not withdrawn.

(With inputs from agencies)