President Ram Nath Kovind accepts resignation of Harsimrat Kaur amid farm bills row

Meanwhile, the President directed Narendra Singh Tomar to take the additional charge of the Ministry of Food Processing Industries

New Delhi: Hours after Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Harsimrat Kaur Badal resigned from the Union Council of Ministers, President Ram Nath Kovind on Friday (September 18, 2020) accepted the resignation.

"The President of India, as advised by the Prime Minister, has accepted the resignation of Harsimrat Kaur Badal from the Union Council of Ministers, with immediate effect, under clause (2) of Article 75 of the Constitution," as per a release issued by the Rashtrapati Bhavan on Friday.

The President directed Narendra Singh Tomar to take the additional charge of the Ministry of Food Processing Industries.

"Further, as advised by the Prime Minister, The President has directed that Shri Narendra Singh Tomar, Cabinet Minister, be assigned the charge of the Ministry of Food Processing Industries, in addition to his existing portfolios," it said.

Badal resigned from the Union Cabinet on Thursday, displaying her opposition to the agriculture-related Bills passed in the Lok Sabha.

Badal in a tweet said she resigned from the Union Cabinet and feels "proud" to stand by the farmers against these "anti-farmer" legislations.

"I have resigned from the Union Cabinet in protest against anti-farmer ordinances and legislation. Proud to stand with farmers as their daughter and sister," she tweeted on Thursday.

"I don't want to be part of a government which brought farm sector bills without addressing apprehensions of farmers," she was later quoted as saying.