Farmers Movement Archive

Punjab CM ridicules Sukhbir’s ‘fixed match’ allegation

CHANDIGARH: Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh has slammed Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal over his ‘fixed match’ allegation while lambasting the Akalis for playing Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) game to ruin state’s farmers. “Who am I playing a fixed match with?” asked Amarinder. He said after playing all those ‘fixed matches’ with the BJP on the farm laws’ issues, Sukhbir seemed to have become so obsessed with the phrase that he had even forgotten that a fixed match cannot be played solo. The chief minister further added that it was the SAD who is playing a fixed match and continues to act at the behest of the BJP, and in the interests of the NDA government at the Centre even after ostensibly quitting it. Amarinder cited the latest incident of the Akalis defending the Bhartiya Kisan Union (Lakhowal) decision to withdraw their petition against the farm laws from the Supreme Court. Amarinder also said Badals have made a laughing stock of themselves and their party with their senseless statements and outrageously false claims on the issue of the black agricultural laws. He pointed out that SAD’s own former ally, the BJP, had already publicly declared that the Akalis had fully supported the legislations from the day one. “In any case, who is Sukhbir to give a suggestion to the state government (for calling special legislative assembly session) after he openly refused to support us in rejecting the farm ordinances during the all-party meeting, and asked his MLAs to stay away from the Vidhan Sabha session at which we passed a resolution against them?’ asked Amarinder. He also ridiculed Sukhbir’s allegation that the state government is deliberately delaying bringing in a state legislation to counter the Centre’s farm laws, saying as a chief minister who had always stood for the rights of the farmers, he was doing what was in the best interests of the farming community. The people of Punjab know who they can trust and who they cannot, the chief minister added.

The Times of India

2020-10-09

Chandigarh