Farmers Movement Archive

Punjab’s Capt Amarinder to fight farm laws on all fronts

Extending his government’s support to agitating farmers in this “aukhi ghari (difficult time)”, Punjab chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Tuesday assured them of all possible legal and other help to fight the new farm laws, including a special session of the Vidhan Sabha to discuss and decide the way forward. Chairing a meeting with representatives of 31 farmer unions to take their views on the matter, the chief minister said he would be discussing the issue with his legal team to finalise the line of action, including challenging farm laws in the Supreme Court. Besides farmer representatives, the AICC general secretary in-charge of Punjab, Harish Rawat, attended the meeting, along with cabinet ministers Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa and Bharat Bhushan Ashu, MLA Rana Gurjit Singh, Punjab Congress president Sunil Jakhar and advocate general Atul Nanda. “We will take all possible steps to counter the Union government’s assault on the state’s federal and constitutional rights, and fight for the interest of the farmers,” Captain Amarinder Singh told the farmers. If legal experts advise amendment to the state laws to fight the central laws, a special session of the Vidhan Sabha will be called to do so, he said. He, however, trashed Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal’s demand for a special Vidhan Sabha session as “cheap gimmickry” after supporting the central laws for months. “Where were the Akalis in the last session and why did Sukhbir not support the other parties at the all-party meeting?” he said. He said the Akalis, led by Sukhbir, had been supporting the farm ordinances throughout and had only backed out once their position in Punjab became untenable amid widespread angst among farmers. “If they were so concerned about the farmers’ interests, why did Harsimrat Kaur Badal not resign from the Union Cabinet the moment the farm ordinances were brought in by the Centre?” he said.

Hindustan Times

29-09-2020

Chandigarh