Farmers Movement Archive

Don’t pretend to care about farmers: Amarinder to Sukhbir

Chandigarh: Punjab chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Monday asked SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal to stop “shedding crocodile tears” over the plight of farmers, whose very existence has been threatened by the farm ordinances passed by the Centre with the support of his party. “Having given its full backing to the ordinances, which was the first step towards elimination of the MSP regime, the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) has lost all locus standi to even pretend to care about the farmers, whose condition had deteriorated to abysmal levels under their rule,” said Amarinder. He said Sukhbir should not forget that as Union minister, his wife and SAD leader Harsimrat Kaur Badal was part of the Cabinet meeting that stamped its approval on the ordinances that would totally destroy Punjab’s farming community. Ridiculing the SAD president’s offer to lead a delegation of farmer organisations to seek clarification from the Centre on MSP, Amarinder said it is evident that Sukhbir is totally disconnected from the ground situation. He pointed out that the ordinances are in line with the recommendations of the Shanta Kumar Committee, which had suggested dismantling the MSP structure. Having implemented the recommendation in the ordinances, the inference is logical that the MSP elimination would soon follow, he said, adding that Sukhbir is conveniently choosing to ignore that in order to protect the interests of SAD, in particular his own and his wife’s interests. “No purpose will be solved now by Sukbir pretending concern for the farmers, whose interests his own party was instrumental in damaging by being an active supporter of the ordinances. Left with no defence for SAD’s anti-farmer and anti-Punjab actions, Sukhbir is not trying desperately to save face with his offer,” said Amarinder.

The Times of India

2020-07-21

Chandigarh