After remaining in political hibernation for almost 15 months, the cricketer-turned-politician Navjot Singh Sidhu on Sunday entered the field once again to bat for the Congress party to protest against the Centre’s new farm laws. While doing so, he asked his own party’s Government in the state to take responsibility of farmers and fight for them, while listing out his suggestions to tackle with the situation, including convening a special Vidhan Sabha session to nullify the controversial farm laws by bringing in own legislations.
Sidhu, who remained aloof from all Congress party activities ever since he resigned as the Cabinet Minister in June 2019 in protest against the change in his portfolio, attended the party’s tractor rally led by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, and shared the stage with Punjab CM Capt Amarinder Singh, with whom he had been at odds on variety of issues.
The former Minister’s participation in the rally came three days after the All India Cong Committee general secretary in-charge of Punjab affairs Harish Rawat met him at his residence in Amritsar, and conveyed that Rahul Gandhi want him to participate. In fact, Rawat went a step ahead on Sunday to ensure Sidhu’s participation in the rally by bringing the “upset” leader along with him to the rally’s venue — a development indicating at Sidhu’s importance for the party. Notably, Rawat had, in the past few days, time and again reiterated that Sidhu is asset for the party.
Sharing the dias with Capt Amarinder and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in Moga, Sidhu said that Punjab Government should provide storage and other facilities to farmers. “They should take their responsibility and fight for them,” he added. He also suggested that the Punjab Government should give minimum support price (MSP) on pulses and oilseeds and set up an infrastructure for the storage of crops. Sidhu also urged the Government to convene a special session of Vidhan Sabha and nullify the controversial farm laws by bringing in own legislations in the interest of the farming community.
Slamming the BJP-led Centre over the farm laws, Sidhu dubbed them as an “attack on federal structure” while alleging that the Central Government was being run by “capitalists”. “They are robbing our rights,” he said, adding that the Centre had imposed a “system” which had failed in Europe and the US. “They are trying to impose America’s failed system on us. Capitalists are running this country. Benefits to farmers are labeled as ‘subsidies’ whereas relaxations worth lakhs of rupees given to the rich are called ‘incentives’,” said Sidhu.
He said these new legislations would adversely affect five lakh labourers and 30,000 arhtiyas (commission agents).
Sidhu, who had been at loggerheads with the Chief Minister, had stayed away from all Congress activities ever since he resigned as Cabinet Minister last year. However, Sidhu last month had staged protests against the farm bills in Amritsar and one in Sangrur sans any Congress party signs.