Sidhu may join protest, but can’t address gatherings: Farm unions
CHANDIGARH: Punjab’s major farm unions have said that they would not allow the newly appointed Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) president Navjot Singh Sidhu to either share stage with protesting farm leaders or address their rallies.
Farmers are seeking repeal of the three farm laws that Parliament passed in September 2020, since November 26 last year. The Samyukt Kisan morcha (SKM), comprising 31 farmer bodies, is leading the protest at the Delhi borders.
Balbir Singh Rajewal, who heads a faction of the Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU), on Monday, said, “We would not allow him (Sidhu) to share stage with farm leaders or address our rallies.” Rajewal was reacting to Sidhu’s announcement on the day he took charge that he would reach out to the protesting farmers, stand in their support and hold discussions with farm leaders.
Rajewal added that Sidhu could join farmers who are sitting on protest at the borders of Delhi, but no special treatment would be given to him. “SKM has resolved not to mix politics with the protest in any way,” he said, adding that to date Sidhu had not contacted any farm leader.
Sukhdev Singh Kokri Kalan, general secretary, BKU (Ekta-Ugrahan), one of the largest farm bodies in Punjab in terms of number of protesters, said, “Sidhu can join our protest as an ordinary farmer, but not in any political capacity. We will not allow him to come near our stage or give him the mike to address farmers. This has been an SKM resolve since the protest started.”
Overall, too, the mood among farmers is not to involve Sidhu in their protest, though a section of leaders wanted a rethink on the idea.
On comments of farmers, Kuljit Singh Nagra, one of the four new working presidents of the state unit, said, “No one among us is aspiring to be on the farmers’ stage. I work with farmers the entire day and am ready to sit in the last row among protesters. We feel the pain they are undergoing.”