The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) on Saturday asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to “put all other engagements on hold and personally address and resolve the genuine demands of the agitating “annadata” of the country as a “top national priority”.
“The agitators’ demands on the three anti-farmer Acts are perfectly legitimate, secular and constitutional. The Prime Minister and his colleagues have repeatedly maintained that the Assured Marketing of farmers’ produce at Minimum Support Price will be continued under all circumstances. That being so, there should be no objection to nor problem in giving a legal shape to the government’s commitments through necessary legislation,” the Core Committee of the party said.
A meeting of the Core Committee which met here, also came down heavily against Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar for his “highly provocative, dangerous and divisive statement dubbing the farmers as Khalistanis . “Do these beleaguered elderly men and ladies from farmers’ families look like Khalistanis to Khattar and his party ? It is not the farmers but the Haryana CM himself who is guilty of flouting the Constitution of the country on the anniversary of the Adoption Day of the Statute, the Core Committee said.
Harcharan Bains, Principal Advisor to the SAD President, said the Core Committee accused the Haryana CM of trying to revive the old Congress tactics to paint its political opponents as separatists. “It is the same mindset that was responsible for the Congress repression against Akali agitators in 1982 and continued for a decade and a half, painting a fiercely patriotic community as separatist," said the SAD Resolution, adding that the Haryana CM was trying to create advance-justification for repression and persecution against farmers.”
The SAD president said that SAD and every Akali worker has been in the movement from day-one. “We led a massive farmers’ protest march from three sacred Takhat Sahiban to Chandigarh. The party later merged its efforts with the on-going movement as there were apprehensions that a parallel show by SAD might hamper a united fight against the center. Since then, in deference to the wishes of the agitating farmers,our entire focus and efforts have been towards a united fight with whole-hearted participation by our workers and local leaders at different levels,” Badal said.
The SAD president has set up a three-member Committee including Balwinder Singh Bhundur, Prem Singh Chandumajra and Sikander Singh Maluka to coordinate with leaders of the like-minded national and regional parties across the country for all-round support to secure justice for the farmers and get the Laws against them repealed. The Committee will also coordinate with the organizers of the farmers movement for the success of the on-going agitation.
Badal also directed party's Haryana unit leaders to step up mobilisation for the farmers' cause and to ensure regular flow of langar and medical facilities for the agitating farmers. He also directed the district and circle Jathedars of the party to step up this participation and work round the clock for the success of the farmers movement.
They have been directed to ensure regular supply of Langar, medical care and other forms of logistic support to the movement. Badal has
directed Akali leaders to personally visit the families of protesters while they are away to Delhi for the success of the Movement.
Senior party leaders who attended the meeting of the core committee included Balwinder Singh Bhundar, SGPC President Bibi Jagir Kaur, Prem Singh Chandumajra, Charanjit Singh Atwal, Gulzar Singh Ranike, Upinderjit Kaur, Janmeja Singh Sekhon, Sikander Singh Maluka, Daljit Singh Cheema, Hira Singh Gabria, Jagmit Singh Brar, Baldev Singh Mann, Sharanjit Singh Dhillon and Surjit Singh Rakhra.