NEW DELHI, Sep 17 : In a setback to the Modi government, Union minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal on Thursday resigned from the Union Cabinet in protest against the three farm bills tabled in Parliament by the Centre.

"I have resigned from Union Cabinet in protest against anti-farmer ordinances and legislation. Proud to stand with farmers as their daughter & sister," Harsimrat announced on Twitter. The Shiromani Akali Dal had strongly opposed the bills, with party chief Sukhbir Singh Badal announcing in Lok Sabha earlier that Harsimrat will quit the Cabinet in protest. In his speech during a discussion on two of the farm bills — the Farmers Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill and the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill, Sukhbir Singh Badal said the proposed laws will "destroy" the 50 years of hard work put in by successive Punjab governments and farmers to build the agriculture sector.