Farmers Movement Archive

Guv must explain bill delay: Captain

Chandigarh: Terming the growing economic and military ties between Pakistan and China as New Delhi’s “failure of diplomacy”, Punjab chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh on Wednesday said by delaying resolution on farmers’ crisis, the BJP-led government at the Centre was allowing Pakistan to take advantage of dissatisfaction emerging in the state. Urging the Centre to repeal farm laws in the interest of the nation’s security, if for no other reason, the chief minister asked, “Have you not thought of what Pakistan will do in this scenario?” Warning that the two neighbouring countries will take advantage of dissatisfaction among youth in Punjab, as they had done in the pas, he stressed on the need to “learn from history”. Is Delhi sleeping?” he said, citing figures on increase in arms smuggling into Punjab through drones since the farmers had intensified their stir. Amarinder rejected the suggestion that the state amendment bills against the farm laws were symbolic in nature. bills were passed under Article 354 (II) of the Constitution as was done by Gujarat for the land acquisition laws, he said. “The governor should explain what is stopping him from sending the bills to the President,” said the CM, adding that if they go to the President and he refused to give his assent, his government would move Supreme Court. tnn Asserting that he stood with farmers, and his heart was with them, Amarinder said if farmers, who had so far opposed any political interference, approached him for intervention, he would be happy to suggest a solution to the current crisis. He again urged the central government not to sit on ego or prestige, but to withdraw farm laws immediately. “This is not Hitler’s Germany or Mao Zedong’s China. People’s will has to be heard,” he said, adding that those at the helm should understand that the agitation was not political, but a matter of farmers’ survival. Pointing to his 52 years of experience in politics, Amarinder said he had seen the build-up of terrorism, and also the assassination of a chief minister of Punjab. The situation was worse today because of economic and military collusion between Pakistan and China, which was “very ominous for India”, he said, at a media event. “While the Indian Army is equipped to handle any situation, the question is why the Indian government is allowing the country’s two big enemies to get together?” he said. If there is a war, Pakistan and China will be in it together, and Punjab, which shares a 600-km long border with Pakistan, will be at the battlefront, he said. He warned against trusting Pakistan Army chief General Bajwa’s offer of peace, terming it Islamabad’s double-faced policy. “Pakistan has been at our throats since 1947, how can they bury the past?” he said. “Bajwa is, in fact, not fit to be an Army man; he is a liar,” said Amarinder, adding that the day the general made the peace offer seven encounters happened at the borders.

The Times of India

2021-03-25

Chandigarh