'Instead...mount pressure on Centre to repeal farm laws': Amarinder appeals farmers to shun protests in state
Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Monday appealed farmers not to hold protests across the state and instead "mount pressure" on the Central government to repeal the farm laws. He urged farmers to spare Punjab from their protests and advised them to shift their sit-in venues to Delhi's borders or in Haryana.
- While addressing an event after laying the foundation stone of government college at Mukhliana village in the Chabbewal assembly constituency, Singh said the state where its entire people stood like a rock with them in favour of their legitimate issues, should desist from holding protests across the state against these "black" farm laws passed by the BJP-led Central government.
- The chief minister said that the ongoing protests at 113 places in Punjab by the farmers were "not at all in the interests of the state", which has considerably impacted its economic development and hoped his request would be acceded by the farmers on agitation. “I want to tell farmer brothers that it is your Punjab, your villages, your people. You do whatever you want to do at Delhi (border), put pressure on them (Centre) and make them agree,” Singh said. “Do you know farmers are also sitting at 113 places in Punjab? What will be the gain out of it? Punjab will suffer financially. They are doing it at Delhi (borders) and in Haryana. You do it there,” Singh told the farmers. There is no use sitting at 113 places in Punjab and weakening its financial position,” he said.
- Singh reminded that these laws were rejected by the state assembly and replaced by the state's own farm laws which were sent to the governor for his assent but to "our dismay these have not yet been forwarded to the President."
- "I want to tell Punjab farmers that this is their land. Their ongoing protests here are not in the state's interest. Instead of holding protests in the state, farmers should mount pressure on the Centre to get farm laws repealed," Singh said.
- Reacting to Singh’s statement, Haryana Home Minister Vij accused him of instigating farmers. “It is a very irresponsible statement of Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh to tell farmers that do whatever you want in Haryana or at Delhi borders but do not do it in Punjab,” Vij said in a tweet. “This proves that Amarinder Singh has done the work of instigating farmers,” Vij added. Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar too had last month accused the Congress government in Punjab of fuelling farmers' unrest in his state.
READ MORE: Navjot Sidhu writes to Punjab CM Amarinder Singh, seeks action on farmers' demands
