Hold unconditional talks with farmers: Sukhbir to Tomar

CHANDIGARH : Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal on Wednesday urged Union agriculture minister Narendra Singh Tomar to hold unconditional talks with the agitating farmers instead of outrightly rejecting their demands.

Calling upon the NDA government to be sensitive to the anguish of farmers, who were agitating against the three farm laws for more than six months, the SAD chief said: “It is shocking that the NDA government is telling farmers that there is no space for discussion in a democracy.”

“The government has done everything within its power to suppress the peaceful and democratic movement and continues to attempt to dislodge farmers from the Singhu and Tikri protest sites,” said Sukhbir, asserting that the farmers want repeal of the three black laws.

However, Tomar on Wednesday said the government was ready to resume talks with farmers but asked the unions to point out their objections to the provisions of the three farm laws with sound logic.

SAD protest outside Punjab CM’S house on June 15

The SAD chief will lead a dharna outside CM Capt Amarinder Singh’s residence in Chandigarh on June 15 to demand the dismissal of health minister Balbir Singh Sidhu and probe by the CBI into alleged irregularities in sale of vaccines and procurement of medical kits for Covid-19 patients.

The opposition party will also demand that land acquisition for national highways be done on market rates and displacement compensation be offered to the affected landowners.

In a statement party spokesman Daljit Singh Cheema said the vaccine and Fateh kit scams had shaken the conscience of Punjabis as the elected government and its members were profiting from their misery during the time of pandemic.

“The government has admitted its fault that it sold vaccines to private hospitals at huge margins. Instead of dismissing the health minister, Amarinder is shielding him and trying to silence the opposition by registering cases against Akali leaders for holding a peaceful and democratic protest,” he said.