Bills part of Centre’s ruin farmers, ruin Punjab plan: Capt

CHANDIGARH: Chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Friday slammed the farm legislations being forced on to the nation by the central government as part of the “kisan maaru, Punjab maaru” (destroy farmers, destroy Punjab) conspiracy of the BJP-led NDA, of which the Akalis continue to be a part at the cost of their own state.

“I don’t know what enmity the BJP and the Akalis have with Punjab and why they are out to destroy us,” said the CM, while launching the Virual Kisan Mela of the Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), Ludhiana. The launch was held with virtual connectivity at 100 locations and participated by farmers, farmer representatives and other stakeholders, including ministers, MLAs and state Congress chief Sunil Jakhar.

The CM warned that the legislations will lead to growing angst among the people in the border state, thus giving Pakistan the opportunity to stoke more fires.

“Delhi has to rethink on this issue,” he said, adding that the legislations would undo the sacrifices made by Punjab and its farmers over 65 years to make India self-sufficient in food.

Accusing the Akalis of playing their own political games in this entire affair, Amarinder asked the Badals why the SAD had failed to stand with the Punjab government on these Bills and even on the critical water issue. “Did you not think even once what will happen to Punjab without agriculture and without water?” he asked the Akalis, pointing out that with the SYL issue hanging over the state, the situation was perilous and the SAD had only contributed to the crisis by supporting the farm ordinances.

Rejecting BJP and SAD claims that Punjab was on board with the farm ordinances, the CM made it clear that the issue of any such ordinances or new laws on agriculture was never discussed at any of the meetings in which his government was represented at the high-powered committee set up by the Centre on agricultural reforms.

Had SAD stood with our govt from the outset and put pressure on their ally, the BJP, this situation may not have arisen.

AMARINDER SINGH, CM