An agricultural scientist refused on stage to accept an award from a Union minister in solidarity with the protesting farmers and later urged the Centre to withdraw the new “anti-national” farm laws.

Varinderpal Singh, principal soil chemist at the state-funded Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, had climbed onto the stage on Monday after being called to receive the Fertilisers Association of India’s golden jubilee award for his scientific work.

He thanked chemicals and fertilisers minister D.V. Sadananda Gowda and the association for the recognition but politely refused to accept the award just as the minister was about to hand it to him. Singh apologised for any “inconvenience” his action may have caused.

“My conscience does not allow me to receive this award.... I feel I would be guilty if at this moment I receive this award,” the scientist said.

Singh later wrote to Gowda, expressing his regret at having to turn the award down.

Singh wrote: “It is a time of crisis for the nation when farmers are on the roads with their genuine demands and the government is not accepting their request to withdraw the anti-national laws.”

In a separate letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Singh wrote: “My (conscience) does not allow me to receive this award from any government official because of unnecessary pains given by the GOI to the peacefully protesting farmers.”

He added: “The way the government tried to break the courage of farmers and the way the farmers remained disciplined is now history.... Ignoring the genuine demands and keeping Indians on roads during winter is not in the interest of the nation.”

The contents of both letters have been uploaded by a Twitter user.

Singh was to receive the award for work that led to the development of a lead colour chart that helps optimise the use of urea on farms.

The technology has the potential to reduce urea consumption and save about Rs 750 crore in Punjab alone, Singh wrote to Modi.

He described the farm laws as anti-farmer, antisocial and dangerous for the socio-economic structure of India. He flagged how civilians and academics from various states too had demanded withdrawal of the farm laws.

“Under these circumstances, I regret to accept the FAI golden jubilee award. I love to stand by the farmers instead of receiving any cash award or gold medal at this time of crisis of the nation,” Singh wrote to Modi.

A social media user posted on Twitter a video of Singh’s rejection of the award, drawing multiple comments, some condemning his act and others hailing it.

One Twitter user called the on-stage rejection “outrageous” and “pure nautanki (theatrics)”.

But another wrote: “What courage and spine! Huge respect for (Singh). Wish people from IITs and IIMs etc would stand up in solidarity with farmers.”