AAP to hold kisan mahasammelan at Moga on March 21
JALANDHAR: The Aam Aadmi Party on Monday announced it will hold a kisan mahasammelan in Baghapurana town of Moga district on March 21 in support of the farmers’ agitation on Delhi’s borders against the Centre’s three farm laws.
Punjab AAP chief Bhagwant Mann, who is also the Sangrur member of Parliament, made the announcement in Jalandhar after meeting party workers and candidates who successfully contested the February 14 civic body elections in the state. “The party will strengthen the agitation of farmers against the Narendra Modi government. It will give a clear message to the Centre that it should take back the three laws and give guarantee of minimum support price of crops to farmers,” Mann said.
Mann said that AAP convener and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal will take part in the mahasammelan on March 21 besides the kisan mahapanchayat at Meerut in Uttar Pradesh on February 28.
He claimed that Punjab chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh was toeing the BJP line. “He is the chief minister of the BJP, not the Congress. People don’t trust the Shiromani Akali Dal either as primarily it’s responsible for the new farm laws. Had former Union minister and Bathinda MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal raised her voice in the cabinet against the farm ordinances, they wouldn’t have come into effect,” Mann said.
Delhi legislators and Punjab affairs in-charge Jarnail Singh and co-incharge Raghav Chadha besides Punjab leader of opposition Harpal Singh Cheema were among those present.
‘Held meets to inform people about black laws’
In a press statement, AAP leaders said the party held public meetings in the villages across Punjab to inform the people about the “black farm laws” and their consequences.
Lashing out at the Modi government and chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh, they said that the central government had planted mischievous elements in the farmer protests, who unleashed violence in the January 26 rally. “When many youths from Punjab went missing after January 26, Amarinder made no efforts to bring them back or to know their condition,” they added.
Ex-international hockey player Sodhi joins party
Former international hockey star and retired inspector general of police (IGP) Surinder Sodhi joined the AAP on Monday in the presence of party’s state president and MP Bhagwant Mann and other senior leaders. Colonel (retired) Mandip Grewal, a two-time gallantry awardee who belongs to a family which has been in the armed forces for the last five generations, also joined the party.
Also, Somnath Bangar and Jaswinder Kaur Mann, both independent municipal councillors from wards 11 and 12 of Garhshankar municipal council, joined the AAP.