Punjab Congress president Sunil Jakhar on Tuesday condemned the Bharatiya Janata Party leaders from Haryana for raking up the SYL issue at a critical time when farmers from both the states of Punjab and Haryana, besides other parts of the country, are protesting against three black Central agricultural laws unitedly. “It is so typical of the BJP to indulge in ‘divide and rule’ policy to create a wedge between the farmers from Punjab and Haryana when they are fighting together against the farm laws,” said Jakhar, adding that the BJP is apparently trying to browbeat Punjab with such intimidating tactics.
“Earlier, they imposed economic sanctions and stopped the trains to Punjab to sabotage farmers’ stir and now they are trying to rake up an issue that is highly sensitive and emotive for the Punjabis,” he said.
Referring to the meeting of Haryana BJP MPs with the Union Ministers over SYL issue, he said that it was a highly provocative and insidious act on part of the BJP leadership in Haryana. “The SYL issue is currently pending in the Supreme Court and raking it up this time smacked of insidious intentions of the BJP,” he said.
Jakhar asked the BJP leaders that instead of resorting to such mean and divisive tactics to create division between the farmers of Punjab and Haryana, who had shown exemplary camaraderie and solidarity with each other, ignoring all other differences to oppose the agriculture laws, “they (the BJP leaders) should prevail upon their Government to withdraw these black laws in the interest of not only the farmers but the entire country”.
Reiterating that no matter what diversionary and divisive tactics the BJP may resort to, Jakhar said that the Central Government “will have to repeal these laws that threaten the very existence of the agricultural economy in the country.