Farmers Movement Archive

‘Cong MPs don’t need whip, know party stand on farm Bills’

Chandigarh: Accusing the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) for its “concerted attempt to divert public attention from its failure” to protect the rights and interests of the farmers, Punjab Congress functionaries on Thursday said in contrast to the Akalis, the Congress was totally in unison over the farm Bills and had not needed a whip to vote against the Centre’s “reprehensible bid to destroy the state’s agriculture”. They were reacting to the statement of Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) spokesperson Daljit Singh Cheema over the fact that the chief minister had led a delegation on Wednesday to submit a memorandum to the governor on the issue “instead of directing his MPs to express solidarity with the farming community by voting against the ordinances”. “The Congress MPs have been fighting against these dangerous anti-Punjab ordinances from the outset and knew which way to vote, unlike those of the SAD, whose MPs were totally lost due to the total lack of clarity or direction from their leadership, which has been changing its stance on key issues to suit their personal interests,” said MP Manish Tiwari. He was joined by PPCC president Sunil Jakhar, and cabinet ministers Manpreet Singh Badal, Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa and Bharat Bhushan Ashu. The Congress MPs, not just from Punjab but around the country, had voted against the Bills, which, unfortunately, the BJP-led NDA, “of which the Akalis continue shamelessly to be a part”, succeeded in passing through brute majority in the House by voice vote, they said in a statement.

The Times of India

2020-09-18

Chandigarh