Driving Naari Programme launched in Chandigarh
Chandigarh/Fazilka, January 8
Reacting to media reports that Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh had assigned two IPS officers from Punjab at the Singhu border to engage with the farmer leaders to persuade them to accept the Centre’s offer, state AAP chief and Sangrur MP Bhagwant Mann said it was clear that in a bid to save his son from ED cases, the CM was bargaining the interests of farmers.
Mann alleged Captain Amarinder had taken various steps to put an end to the farmers’ agitation with the intention of following the orders of Union Home Minister Amit Shah after their meeting. He said with an intention of ‘torpedoing’ the farmers’ movement, the Congress MPs had earlier staged a dharna at Jantar Mantar and MP Ravneet Bittu was engaging in low-level politics. They were trying to intimidate the farmers, he added.“On the day of Shah’s meeting with farmers, Ruldu Singh, a farmer leader, was troubled by the administration. He had said two Punjab Police officers were also present, which has now been proved,” said Mann. He further said the CM was betraying the people of Punjab. “He first agreed to farm laws in the high-power committee, then by implementing ‘black’ laws in Punjab, procured paddy crop; and now through his officials, he is playing tricks to exert pressure on the farmers,” he said.
Mann expressed astonishment that like SAD patron Parkash Singh Badal, Captain Amarinder was engrossed in his son’s fascination and not even listening to the Congress central leaders. He alleged the CM was forcing the farmers to bow before the Modi government through his officials.
Mann said after the exposure of attempts to crush the farmers’ movement, Captain Amarinder had no right to sit in the Chief Minister’s chair, given to him by the people of Punjab. He said that Captain Amarinder , who had failed on all fronts, should immediately resign from the post.
SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal
Meanwhile, in Fazilka, SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal, too, accused the Chief Minister of working in collusion with BJP-led Union Government to demolish the ‘kisan andolan’. The SAD leader today canvassed in Abohar and Balluana Assembly segments of Fazilka district and visited 17 wards of Jalalabad town to mobilise cadre in view of the upcoming municipal council elections.
Targeting the Chief Minister, the SAD chief said: “This is the reason why an attempt-to-murder charge was registered against a few persons who had called for a social boycott of BJP leader Harjit Grewal. Also, a case under the same charge was registered against protesters who dumped cow dung in front of BJP leader Tikshan Sud’s residence in Hoshiarpur,” he said.
The government was acting against artistes who were supporting the farmers’ agitation. Recently, a case was registered against song writer Shree Brar who had written the anthem of the farmer agitation, said Sukhbir.
He took on the CM for ‘betraying’ the farmers by implementing the Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020. He said the Act allowed outsiders to sell produce in Punjab. He said it was a fact that the Congress government had amended the APMC Act in 2017 that contained all provisions of the three farm laws.
