Punjab Congress on Monday held protests across the state against the three Central farm bills, alleging the proposed legislations would “ruin” the farming community.
Congress workers raised slogans against the BJP-led Government at the Centre for bringing the “anti-farmer” Bills and also burnt effigies of the Central Government.
Punjab Congress president Sunil Jakhar led the agitation at Bassi Pathana in Fatehgarh Sahib and slammed the NDA government. “These Bills will ruin farmers,” he said, promising that his party would take every step possible to protect the interests of the farming community.
Jakhar also hit out at Punjab's opposition party, Shiromani Akali Dal, saying that it took a “U-turn” over the issue of the farm Bills after sensing there was anger among farmers against the proposed legislations. “Earlier, they were trying to mislead farmers by saying that these Bills were in their interest,” he said.
Jakhar also said that he was happy that all farmer outfits have joined hands to oppose these Bills.
Farmers' outfits have given a call for ‘Punjab Bandh’ on September 25 in protest against these Bills. In Hoshiarpur, Cabinet Minister Sunder Sham Arora dubbed SAD leader Harsimrat Kaur Badal's resignation from the Union cabinet as a “political stunt” and asked why she did not quit the Modi-led government when the corresponding ordinances were brought in. Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh had, a day before, said that his government would take the BJP and its allies, including the Akalis, to court over the new “unconstitutional, undemocratic and anti-farmer” laws of the Central Government.