CHANDIGARH: While slamming the BJP-led Union government for it's failure to fulfil its promise to provide a Minimum Support Price (MSP) guarantee to the farmers, the Leader of the Opposition (LoP), Partap Singh Bajwa on Monday also pointed at Punjab Chief Minister, Bhagwant Mann reneged from his promises made to farmers at several occasions.
"Punjab CM is now attempting to intermediate in the meetings between the representatives of the BJP-led Union government and farmers' unions. However, he himself let down the farmers of Punjab on numerous occasions. The flood-affected farmers have not yet been compensated by the Aam Aadmi Party government in Punjab, even though the CM used to say that he would provide compensation for hens also", Bajwa.
Bajwa said that when the CM was attempting to resolve the issues between farmers and centre government, the police resorted to lathi-charge at the activists of the Berozgar Sanjha Morcha at Sangrur, which showed CM's insensitivity towards the struggling people.
Senior Congress Leader, Bajwa said that the AAP failed terribly to ensure the MSP on moong crops in the state. Farmers didn't even get the cash incentives to manage paddy stubble and compensation for adopting the DSR technique to sow paddy.
Bajwa said that on the one hand, the BJP government bestowed Bharat Ratna to renowned agriculture scientist MS Swaminathan and on the other hand his recommendations about MSP including C2+50% formula has been disregarded completely. It shows the hypocrisy of the BJP-led union government.
"It is highly deplorable the BJP-led Haryana government has sealed the border with Punjab. To hold protest demonstrations is a democratic right of the citizens of this country that cannot be suppressed this way", Bajwa added.
The opposition leader said that it's been more than two years since the farmers called off their year-long protest in Delhi after the BJP-led union government repealed three contentious farm laws and promised to legalise the MSP, however, the MSP guarantee has not been given. The farmers are left with no other option apart from launching a fresh demonstration to make their voices heard. BJP must accept all the genuine demands of the farmers to avoid further escalation on the issue.