Don’t call Punjab anti-national, says CM Amarinder Singh

Punjab chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Wednesday slammed critics calling his state anti-national for seeking to negate central laws that seek to reform agricultural markets but farmers fear would leave them at the mercy of powerful agribusinesses, noting the presence of tens of thousands of Punjabi soldiers on the borders.

“Please don’t think Punjab is out to disturb the peace of the country. It is not. We are there to preserve the peace of the country. We have given blood many times in the past and we will never shy away from doing so in future,’ Singh said at a protest against the farm laws in the Capital.

“Our men are deployed in far greater numbers along borders with China and Pakistan in Siachen, Drass, Kargil, Gurez, Leh, Ladakh, Chushul, Galwan Valley and Daulat Beg Oldie and are fighting in tough terrain to ensure the nation’s safety and security,” he said.

Lawmakers from Punjab gathered in New Delhi’s Jantar Mantar to protest against the bills after President Ram Nath Kovind reportedly refused to meet a delegation from the state, led by the chief minister, to allow the three farm bills passed by the state assembly last month to negate the central legislation.

On a smoggy morning, Singh and some MPs and state legislators from Punjab paid tribute to Mahatma Gandhi at Raj Ghat, where they had originally planned to hold the protest. They shifted the protest it to Jantar Mantar after Delhi Police imposed restrictions under section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure.

The chief minister warned that any move to tinker with religion and the livelihood of the people was bound to trigger resentment and anger. “ No ruler should meddle in religious and livelihood issues,” he said.

In September, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government signed into law three bills amid protests by farmers groups — The Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020; the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance, Farm Services Bill, 2020; and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill 2020. The Centre has asserted that these laws would be beneficial for farmers and would also increase their income, even as several opposition parties and farmers’ organisations have been protesting against the legislations, alleging that these will harm the interests of farmers and benefit corporate entities.

Singh warned that failure to resolve the issues of farmers would lead to unrest, which both China and Pakistan would try to exploit to the detriment of national security.

Former state minister Navjot Singh Sidhu also joined the protest, indicating a thaw in his strained ties with the chief minister at the intervention of the Congress leadership. Lok Insaaf Party legislator Simranjit Singh Bains, as well as Punjabi Ekta Party MLAs Sukhpal Khaira and Shiromani Akali Dal (Democratic) MLA Parminder Singh Dhindsa, were also present.

In a reply to the Punjab CM’s open letter to JP Nadda on Sunday expressing concern over the continued suspension of goods trains, the BJP president slammed Singh. Nadda, in the letter, said, “in my view you are fully responsible for the unfortunate situation that has emerged in the State of Punjab”.

The Punjab assembly last month adopted a resolution, rejecting the Centre’s new farm laws and passed three bills to counter the contentious legislation enacted by Parliament. Singh urged the President to give his assent to the farm bills submitted to Punjab governor VP Singh Badnore on October 20.

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