With farmers’ leaders flaying the Punjab Chief Minister’s remark urging them to shift the protest against farm laws outside Punjab, Captain Amarinder Singh on Tuesday said it was unfortunate that the farmers had given a political twist to his remarks instead of understanding the pain and misery caused to the people on account of their protests in the state, which was quite uncalled for, given his government’s continued support to them.

Reacting to Samyukt Kisan Morcha’s (SKM), an umbrella body of various farmer outfits protesting against the farm laws, criticism of the remarks he had made yesterday on the issue, the CM lamented that despite his government’s unequivocal support to their cause, the farmers had misinterpreted his appeal and had, instead, tried to link it with the upcoming Assembly polls in Punjab.

Advertisement

His government, as well as the people of Punjab, had always stood with the farmers on the issue of the farm laws, and it was sad that they were now suffering due to the continued protests of the farming community across the state, he added.

Amarinder said there was no question of trying to split the farmers of Punjab and Haryana, all of whom were equal victims of the apathy of the Bharatiya Janata Party-led governments at the Centre and in the neighbouring state.

Pointing out that the farmers’ fight was against the BJP, which was solely responsible for thrusting the anti-farmer legislation on Punjab and other states, Amarinder said inconveniencing the people of Punjab was not justified in the circumstances.

He rejected the Morcha’s claims there was no paralysis of the government in Punjab due to the farmers’ protests, pointing out that it was not the Adanis or the Ambanis whose interests were being hurt by such protests but the common people of the state, as well as it’s economy.

Continued protests in Punjab will push industry out of the state, which would have a severe impact on the economy, said the CM.

Already, the situation was becoming serious on the grain storage and procurement front due to the agitation, with the lifting of the stocks by the Food Corporation of India (FCI) and state agencies getting obstructed, he said.

“If things continue in this manner, we will lose out on investment, revenue, and employment opportunities,” Amarinder warned, adding that this would lead to serious paralysis of the government in Punjab.

The farmers could not possibly want to lead Punjab and its people back into the depths of despair, said Amarinder, once again urging the farmers to discontinue their protests in Punjab, which was not even remotely responsible for their plight.