Painful to see farmers lose lives in this manner: Amarinder at all-party meeting

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, February 2

Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh on Tuesday said it is painful to see farmers lose lives in this manner (in the ongoing protest).

At an all-party meeting, the Chief Minister said 88 farmers had lost their lives during the struggle against the “anti-farmer” laws as they had died fighting for their rights.

Before the start of the meeting, the leaders observed a two-minute silence and paid tributes to those who had died.


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Punjab Congress chief Sunil Jakhar said, “Chinese soldiers at Galwan are armed with spears and spiked batons against our jawans. Delhi Police is armed with spears, batons and spiked roads at Singhu border against our kisans. Learning from Chinese? The BJP has lost the right to say ‘Jai Jawan Jai Kisan’.”

At the meeting, chaired by Amarinder, leaders cutting across party lines tried to evolve a consensus on taking an all-party delegation to meet the Prime Minister.

Leaders said there was need for political intervention in the farmers’ stir and condemned the Delhi Police action on farmers on Republic Day.

At the meeting, AAP leader Bhagwant Mann said Amarinder should honour his commitment to lead an all-party delegation to meet the Prime Minister and Union Home Minister. Mann said that rising above party level, a help desk should be set up at the Delhi border. “Instead of stationing himself in Chandigarh, the Punjab Chief Minister should sit in Delhi,” he said.

Mann, who left the meeting midway to attend the ongoing Parliament session, said the AAP government of Delhi would help the Punjab Chief Minister in cases he decided to station himself in the national capital to mobilise political parties in support of farmers’ stir.

AAP MLAs led by Harpal Cheema walked out of the meeting in protest against the “no time-bound commitment” by the Chief Minister regarding leading an all-party delegation to meet the Prime Minister.

The AAP MLAs reiterated their demand to provide security cover to the agitating farmers at the Delhi borders.

They claimed that the Chief Minister had not fulfilled his commitment (given at the all-party meeting in June last year) to lead a delegation to meet the Prime Minister.

Painful to see farmers lose lives in this manner: Amarinder at all-party meeting
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