Farmers Movement Archive

President declines time to Punjab CM, Amarinder Singh to begin relay dharna

CHANDIGARH: With Punjab on the brink of a power crisis and the President declining Punjab chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh’s request for a meeting on November 4, the latter announced on Tuesday that he would lead a relay dharna of MLAs at Delhi’s Rajghat on Wednesday to highlight the state’s power and critical essential supplies situation due to the Centre’s adamant refusal to allow movement of goods trains. Since Section 144 has been imposed in Delhi, MLAs will go from Punjab Bhawan to Rajghat in batches of four only, with the chief minister leading the first one at 10.30 am. Amarinder also once again urged MLAs of other Punjab parties to join the dharnas in the interest of the state, which was facing a dire situation after the last private power plans (GVK) shut operations on Tuesday due to no coal supply. Two Lok Insaaf Party MLAs will also join the Congress sit-in. Freight trains stopped as if to teach Punjab a lesson. Punjab Congress president Sunil Jakhar will not join the party MLAs’ protest at Rajghat as he is not keeping well. There is still no word on whether Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will attend the protest. Party incharge of Punjab affairs Harish Rawat is likely to participate. Most Congress MLAs left for Delhi on Tuesday for the dharna. Before proceeding for the sit-in, the CM will hold a meeting of the Punjab MLAs at 10 am. Cabinet minister Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa said it was unfortunate that the Centre was not willing to listen to the state’s view on the farm laws. “The freight rail service has been deliberately stopped, as if to teach a lesson to the state. They plan to ruin the economy of the state,” he added. The CM said the situation on the ground was grim as the state had run out of coal, urea/DAP and other essential supplies due to the decision of the Railways not to ply goods trains even after the farmers eased their blockade to allow such movement. With its bid for power purchase not cleared on Tuesday, the state was facing extreme power shortage, all agricultural and vegetable supplies had been curtailed, and high loss feeder power supply had been cut, he said, adding that the people of Punjab were staring at a dark festival season. The continued and inexplicable suspension of goods trains by the Railways was also having serious consequences for other states such as Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh and Himachal Pradesh, Amarinder pointed out, reiterating his warning of the armed forces becoming sitting ducks for the enemies if they do not get their essential supplies before the snow sets in. Expressing concern over not getting an appointment with the President, Amarinder said as far as the State Amendment Bills, introduced under Article 254 (ii) were concerned, the Governor’s role was limited to forwarding these to the President in accordance with the Constitutional provisions. He pointed out that the letter from his office had made it clear that was not the only issue on which the state needed the President’s intervention. Amarinder also accused the Centre of step motherly treatment towards Punjab and said that it was pushing the state into a deep crisis.

The Times of India

2020-11-04

Chandigarh