Farmers Movement Archive

Sukhbir slams Channi for ‘surrendering federal structure of Punjab’

Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal on Friday said Punjab and Punjabis were being penalised for standing up against the mighty Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government at the Centre on the issue of controversial farm laws. He accused the Punjab chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi for surrendering the state and its autonomy. “First Channi timidly agreed to the extending the jurisdiction of central forces to 10 districts of Punjab and now accepted the discrimination being done unto Punjab by reducing the status of Punjabi to a minor language for classes 10 and 12,” Sukhbir said.The SAD chief, who was here to convene meetings with his party workers, traders and various factions of the society, was visiting the house of senior lawyer and SAD leader Parupkar Singh Ghuman to hold a dialogue with advocates.Sukhbir said it was shocking that the chief minister was refusing to even register a forceful protest against the Centre which was striking against Punjab one after another.He criticised Channi for the “rampant corruption and deteriorating law and order situation” in the state. “Police officials are offered plum postings in lieu of kickbacks. We will reveal the names of such cops at an appropriate time,” he added. Claiming that former chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh had colluded with the BJP, Sukhbir said, “We have been maintaining since Day 1 that Amarinder is hand in glove with the BJP. This is the reason why the BJP always remained soft with him and never targeted him on any issue. He also returned the favour by giving the go-ahead to the draft of the three farm laws as a member of the committee of chief ministers. Now, Captain is talking of getting the farm law issue resolved. What stopped him from doing this earlier and preventing the loss of 800 lives?”The Akali Dal president also asserted that it did not suit home minister Sukhjinder Randhawa to project himself as a “saviour of the state” when everyone knew that he had been the blue-eyed boy of Amarinder Singh. “Randhawa had also gained the most during the Captain’s regime as he was given top portfolios. Scams done by him including the seed scam were overlooked. He was also not taken to task for allowing jails to be used as extortion dens by gangsters,” Sukhbir alleged.

Hindustan Times

23-10-2021

Chandigarh