Appreciating Aam Aadmi party’s Monday protest and raising farmers’ issues as a “welcome and appreciable” step, the Bharti Kisan Union (BKU) on Tuesday supported the party’s demand in the memorandum submitted to Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal.
“BKU has been raising these issues repeatedly and it is a welcome step that a political party has also raised same issues which reinforces the genuine demands of farmers. Such support from a political party elevates optimism for the agriculture sector which is totally disheartened and demoralised on all fronts,” said BKU national president Bhupinder Singh Mann.
Mann said that BKU had submitted demands, many a times, to the Punjab Governor, and not to the Badal Government as this Government has become totally insensitive towards farmers. “It has become deaf and blind and can neither listen to the woes of the farmers nor can see the apathy of the farmers who are committing suicides,” he said.
He said: “Badal’s insensitive and non-serious behaviour yet again proved that he is anti-farmer and completely indifferent to the issues of farmers and other social issues rotting our society.”
BKU fully supports the demand of Rs 15 lakh for families of farmers who committed suicides, he said.
Mann said that in addition to the compensation, he demanded that a case should be registered for “abetment to suicide” against the person(s) who forces the farmer to commit suicide, like in case of twin suicide of farmer and his mother at Barnala.
Supporting the demand for probe into Rs 12,000 crore missing food grain scam, Mann said that the scam has been exposed by none other than CAG itself after carrying out detailed audit, and that was more than enough evidence to order probe into this massive scam.
“The Government has not paid thousands of crores to farmers for sugarcane and wheat. There is huge payment due to the farmers after April 20,” said Mann while demanding that delayed payment should be made with interest to the farmers. He said that BKU fully supports other demands raised in the memorandum and that we want “rule of law” to prevail in a Punjab which is free of corruption. He also said that drugs in the Punjab should be totally eradicated and all those responsible, however high and mighty, should be brought to the law.