Extending all possible help to the families of protesting farmers, Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh on Wednesday asked the Akalis and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) to stop indulging in petty politics over the farm laws as the issue was not political but concerned the future of the State and its children.
“The issue is not political, it concerns the future of Punjab, our agriculture and the future of our children. If we don’t oppose the black farm laws, we will endanger the future of our children,” said the Chief Minister, addressing the people through his Facebook Live #AskCaptain.Appealing to all not to politicize the agitation of the farmers, who were battling severe cold at the Delhi borders where they have been protesting for the past 28 days, the Chief Minister exhorted AAP and the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) to stand unequivocally in support of the farmers over the farm laws.“I have deliberately chosen not to go to the border of the national capital to express his solidarity with the farmers,” said the Chief Minister while responding to questions raised on the social media about his failure to visit the agitating farmers. “It is out of respect of the feelings of the farmers, who have clearly stated that they don’t want any political parties to be involved,” he added.
Urging the farmers to take care of themselves amid the severe cold, Capt Amarinder asked them to call 1091 helpline or 112 police helpline for any emergency help for their families back in Punjab.
Expressing concern over the death of 22 farmers during the ongoing protests, he prayed to wahe guru that the Centre may resolve the issue soon. “The ball is in their court,” he said, citing the fears of the farmers that the MSP system and the FCI procurement model would end as recommended by the Shanta Kumar report.Taking a dig at the repeated U-turns of both the opposition parties on the issue, the CHief Minister pointed out that when the Central Government first brought in the ordinances, with the clear approval of Harsimrat Kaur Badal as member of the Union Cabinet, “I had immediately convened an all-party meet at which the SAD took a wishy-washy stand and even spoke in favour of the laws”.
“Even Prakash Singh Badal had supported the ordinances,” he pointed out, adding that the Akalis then went on to boycott the assembly session. They only changed their tune after being cornered on the issue, and came out in support of the farmers at the special session of the Vidhan Sabha, he added.
As for AAP, they also supported the State Government’s stand against the farm laws and their leaders even went with him and the Punjab Congress to submit the Assembly resolution and copies of the state amendment laws to the Governor, said Capt Amarinder. “However, the very next day they did a flip-flop, exposing their double standards on the issue,” he added.
The Chief Minister made it clear that the decision on farm laws was not taken at any committee of which Punjab was a member. “Arvind Kejriwal, Sukhbir Badal, Bhagwant Mann…they are all lying and playing politics. Ask them why they are spreading lies,” he said, adding that these leaders were spreading false propaganda to promote their vested interests.
Capt also expressed concern that the new laws would spell doom for the development of the rural areas, which are currently developed with the money that comes to the Mandi Board under the existing system.Lamenting the treatment being meted out to the farmers, the Chief Minister said that it was the hard work of Punjab’s farmers that had transformed India from a beggar to self-sufficiency in food. With just two percent of the country’s land, Punjab was contributing 40 percent to the food basket, he pointed out, urging the Centre to immediately revoke the new laws in the larger interest of the entire country and its agricultural economy. In response to a question from a Sangrur resident, the Chief Minister said his government was giving Rs five lakhs to the families of each farmer who had died during the agitation and will extend any further help needed by them.