The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) on Thursday said the party has decided to create a joint strategy along with likeminded parties on ways and means to strengthen the federal structure of the country which “is being eroded under the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government”.

Disclosing this in a statement here, senior SAD leader Prof Prem Singh Chandumajra said the Akali Dal and likeminded parties including Trinamool Congress (TMC), Shiv Sena, Indian National Lok Dal (INLD), Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and Samajwadi Party (SP) will hold a conference in Delhi after 15 January that will deliberate on current erosion of federalism and its impact on farmers as well as financial wellbeing of states.

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Chandumajra said a three member party committee had been formed by party president Sukhbir Singh Badal to reach out to like-minded parties who were perturbed by the rise of a unitary system in the country.

“We have reached out to Trinamool Congress, Shiv Sena, Indian National Lok Dal, DMK and the Samajwadi Party. We are also trying to get in touch with Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar. The purpose is to hold a conference and work jointly for strengthening the federal structure as visualised by our Constitution makers,” he said.

Prof Chandumajra said leaders of regional parties had agreed to be part of the meeting which would be addressed by five time ex-chief minister and SAD patron Parkash Singh Badal. “Earlier the meeting was fixed for 7 January but had to be postponed due to a slight indisposition of Badal,” he added.

The SAD leader said the three agricultural Acts, which had even been “forced” through Parliament, were a direct interference of the Centre in the powers of the states.

He said even though agriculture was a state subject the Centre went ahead to legislate on this issue. “We are clear that these laws can’t be legislated by Parliament. They also override state laws and market committees and will only help corporates besides weakening the finances of the states,” he added.

Asserting that states should not be put at the mercy of the Centre, Prof Chandumajra said this trend was increasing as was seen earlier in West Bengal where the Governor was interfering in the functioning of an elected government and even in Punjab recently when its Governor summoned senior government officials bypassing the state government.

“The SAD is against this trend and will do its utmost to unite like-minded parties to form a bulwark against the increasing centralisation of powers in the hands of the Union government”, he added.

The SAD was the oldest ally of the BJP but it quit the Modi government and the BJP-led NDA several months ago in protest against the Centre’s controversial farm laws.