RESOLUTION ON WITHDRAWAL OF 3 FARM LAWS
CHANDIGARH: The Punjab Vidhan Sabha on Friday passed a resolution seeking an unconditional withdrawal of the Centre’s three contentious agriculture laws, saying the Union government’s was “inconsiderate and unresponsive” to the protesting farmers. Chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh moved the resolution claiming that there was unrest and anguish amongst the farmers.
CHANDIGARH: The Punjab Vidhan Sabha on Friday passed a resolution seeking an unconditional withdrawal of the Centre’s three contentious agriculture laws, saying the Union government’s was “inconsiderate and unresponsive” to the protesting farmers.
Chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh moved the resolution claiming that the Centre had aggravated the situation and there was unrest and anguish amongst the farmers.
“In the process, not only the livelihood of a large number of farmers and farm labourers has been adversely affected, but substantial loss has also been caused to trade, and industry in Punjab. Even the precious lives of 125 farmers and farmhands have been lost,” the resolution read.
The House once again resolved to urge the central government to withdraw the laws unconditionally in the larger interest of the farmers and the state and continue with the existing system of minimum support price (MSP)-based government procurement of food grains, it further read.
The CM moved the resolution after the Akali MLAs were suspended for the rest of the session for disrupting the House proceedings and the AAP MLAs had staged a walkout. The speaker said the resolution was unanimously passed by the members who were present in the House. The rebel AAP MLAs, who were present in the House, also supported the resolution.
Amarinder remarked that the AAP’s walkout once again exposed its true colours on the issue of the farm laws. He waved to those present in the House a copy of the AAP-led Delhi government’s gazette notification implementing one of the three farm laws, claiming that the party was cheating the farmers by showing false support.
“The fact is that they have repeatedly backstabbed the farmers,” he said.
Before staging a walkout, the AAP legislators rushed to the well, alleging that Amarinder was a member of a high-powered committee set up by the Centre on agricultural reforms and therefore was a party to the decision on the farm Laws. Even state finance minister Manpreet Badal and then agriculture secretary KS Pannu attended the meetings, leader of opposition Harpal SinghCheema claimed.
The CM clarified that he was not present in any of the committee meetings, whereas Manpreet
attended one. Manpreet said the state government was not aware of the ordinances. He also showed a copy of the minutes of the meetings attended by him on the issue, claiming that the state repeatedly asked the Centre not to deviate from the MSP regime.
The Aam Aadmi Party’s walkout from the assembly has once again exposed its true colours on the issue of the farm laws AMARINDER SINGH, Punjab chief minister
CM hits out at BJP
Amarinder hit out at the BJP leaders for labeling protesting farmers as “Khalistanis and Maoists”. He said the Punjab farmers were not anti-national but are as patriotic and nationalistic as who laid their lives for the country in the Galwan valley last year to protect India’s integrity and sovereignty.
“While Union agriculture minister Narendra Singh Tomar termed deaths of farmers during the agitation as routine, the Haryana agriculture minister said they would have died had they been at their house. The Haryana CM is guru of all these leaders,” the chief minister said.
Amarinder also took on the Punjab BJP leaders, saying they should be ashamed of their statements. “The state party chief Ashwani Sharma termed the farmers as Khalistanis whereas Jyani called them Maoists. They only tried to insult the farmers,” he added.