Sampla, Malik face farmers’ protest during Amritsar visit

AMRITSAR: Former Union minister Vijay Sampla, who has recently been made the chairman of the National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC), faced protests over the farm laws during his visit to the Golden Temple and at other places on his schedule during his visit to the holy city on Friday. Sampla visited Sri Ram Tirath Temple to pay obeisance and greeted by protesting farmers carrying flags there. He went to the Circuit House for a press conference, but protesters were again present.

At the Golden Temple, as he entered the parkarma, 3-4 youngsters confronted him and questioned him on the three farm laws. Sampla’s supporters and cops in plain dress tried to disperse this group, but he asked his supporters not to do so. “My post is Constitutional and I cannot give any political statement,” he told agitators. Rajya Sabha member Shwait Malik, former cabinet minister Anil Joshi and other local saffron party leaders accompanied him.

Responding to media queries outside the Golden Temple, Sampla said that it was not fair for him to make any comment on farmers’ stir. “I will only address issues related to SCs and STs,” he added.

Malik had scheduled a meeting with railways on revamping of the Amritsar Railway Station; newsmen had been invited for a briefing after the meeting. The agitating farmers, however, got wind and reached the platform, where Malik arrived to review progress of the ongoing project. When the meeting was on, farmers sat on the platform; some agitators were put under preventive detention, as a precautionary measure.

Malik, a Rajya Sabha member, chaired a meeting with senior railway officials. He added that the city railway station was to be one among only six across the country. He said the Centre has given Rs 500 crore for the project and the station would be equipped with modern facilities similar to those provided at Sri Guru Ramdas Jee International Airport of Amritsar.