CHANDIGARH: Following the death of the young farmer at the Khanauri border, the Leader of the Opposition (LoP), Partap Singh Bajwa on Wednesday lambasted the Punjab Chief Minister, Bhagwant Mann, who also holds the home portfolio for his failure to stop the BJP-led Haryana government from firing in Punjab's jurisdiction.
Senior Congress Leader Bajwa also condemned the Haryana Government in the strongest terms for committing cruelty by using tear gas and rubber bullets against the peacefully protesting farmers.
"Farmer, Shubkaran Singh of village Ballo, district Bathinda allegedly died with a rubber bullet fired by the Haryana police while he was still in Punjab's jurisdiction protesting peacefully", Bajwa added.
Bajwa also expressed condolences to the family of the deceased farmer.
"The Haryana police has been firing tear gas shells and rubber bullets since February 13. However, the Punjab CM failed miserably to lodge an FIR against the Haryana Police and the Haryana Home Minister, Anil Vij", Bajwa added.
"I as a Leader of the Opposition have repeatedly exhorted the Punjab Government to lodge FIR and take legal action. Instead of doing the same, he remained busy in intermediate meetings between the farmers' unions and the central government. It establishes that CM Mann has developed proximity with the BJP and now has become the BJP's puppet", Bajwa added.
The opposition leader said that what Haryana police has been doing is completely inhuman and undemocratic. In a democratic set up every citizen has the right to protest peacefully. Yet the Haryana government is brutally suppressing the protest.