Driving Naari Programme launched in Chandigarh
Chandigarh, June 5: Punjab Congress President Partap Singh Bajwa today expressed the apprehension that going by what happened in Jammu and Ludhiana yesterday, certain forces had hatched a deep-rooted conspiracy to divide the people but such mischiefs would not be allowed to succeed.
Condemning the incidents at these places, he made it clear that the Congress was a secular party.
He said he returned from Delhi last night itself in the wake of the unfortunate incident at Ludhiana involving party secretary Parminder Mehta in Ludhiana who had been suspended from the party as his action was provocative. He claimed he knew as to which agency was behind all this but refused to identify the same. He said Punjab had already suffered much and such incidents would be allowed to be repeated.
Addressing a news conference here, he asserted none would be allowed to play with peace which would be maintained at all costs.
Commenting upon the proposed visit of Prime Minister Modi to Anandpur Sahib on June 19, he posed him three questions. He said Modi must answer these questions before his Anandpur Sahib visit.
He questioned him about the fate of the Punjabi farmers settled in Gujarat who are facing the threat of eviction from their lands. He asked Modi as to why the Gujarat government had not withdrawn the special leave petition filed against the decision of the high court that had given relief to these farmers.
He said Modi must clarify the government stand on the proposed dismantling of the Food Corporation of india and remove all doubts in this regard. Moreover, the farmers must be assured that the present system of procurement would continue. The farmers should also told as to which variety of paddy they should cultivate to save them from the harassment during procurement.
He said the farmers were in crisis but the Modi government had failed to come to their rescue. He reminded the Prime Minister that his predecessor, Dr Manmohan Singh, had given Rs 70,000 package to the debt stressed farmers.
Referring to the location of the IIM in Punjab, he feared that attempts were on to shift this prestigious project from Amritsar to Badal village on the plea of non-availability of land.
