Cricketer-turned-politician Navjot Sidhu makes public appearance after a year, joins protesting farmers

Remaining in hibernation for over a year after quitting the Punjab cabinet, cricketer-turned-politician Navjot Singh Sidhu on Wednesday joined farmers protesting against the farm Bills in Amritsar. The Bills, he said, will "ruin" the farming community.

The former Punjab Minister, who was accompanied by his supporters, sat on a tractor and held placards that read, "We are united in the fight for farmers" in English and Punjabi. This was Sidhu's first public appearance after he resigned from the state cabinet last year.

Sidhu, a Congress MLA from Amritsar assembly constituency, said that the new Bills would dismantle the minimum support price regime and the marketing system.

Lashing out at the BJP-led government at the Centre for bringing the Bills, Sidhu said he would not let them be implemented.

Sidhu, who was not accompanied by any other leader of his party, said he was here to protest against the farm Bills and extend his full support to the farming community when asked about the absence of his party colleagues.

"We all are united to fight these black laws. Our fight is for farmers and it will be taken to a logical conclusion. We will not sit quiet till these bills are revoked, he said adding that he was not alone on this issue. All MLAs irrespective of political parties to which they belong are speaking for the farming community, he said.

Sidhu, on Tuesday, had said all political parties, farmers' outfits, and every Punjabi should join hands to strongly oppose the farm bills. He had also voiced his support to farmers a few days ago via a Twitter post in which he said, "Punjab, Punjabiyat and every Punjabi are with peasants".