Harsimrat Kaur Badal, born on July 25, 1966, in Delhi, India, is an Indian politician and a senior leader of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD). She has been a Member of Parliament representing the Bathinda constituency in Punjab since 2009. Badal served as the Union Minister of Food Processing Industries from 2014 to 2020 under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government. Her tenure focused on strengthening the food processing sector, promoting agro-based industries, and increasing exports of processed foods. Notable initiatives during her term included the Pradhan Mantri Kisan SAMPADA Yojana, aimed at modernizing infrastructure, reducing food wastage, and boosting the agro-processing sector.

Badal, who is married to Sukhbir Singh Badal, the President of the Shiromani Akali Dal and former Deputy Chief Minister of Punjab, comes from a politically influential family in Punjab. Her tenure as the Minister of Food Processing Industries was marked by initiatives such as the Pradhan Mantri Kisan SAMPADA Yojana, which aimed to develop modern infrastructure, boost the agro-processing sector, and reduce agricultural wastage. She also championed policies for women’s empowerment and rural development in Punjab.

In 2020, Badal resigned from the Union Cabinet in protest against the controversial farm laws introduced by the central government, aligning with the farmers’ movement against the laws. She continued to be an active voice for farmers’ rights, advocating for the repeal of the laws, which were eventually withdrawn in 2021.

In September 2020, BOOM fact-checked a viral claim suggesting that an Adani food silo was built after the passage of the agricultural bills, implying a link between the silos and the farm laws.

BOOM found out that the silo in Moga, Punjab, had actually been established in 2007, as confirmed by a company official and news reports, debunking the misleading narrative