Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Saturday asked the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) to stop lying and misleading people of Punjab by selectively picking portions of Congress manifestos to further its interest.
He said these manifestos "did not even remotely" propose any of the anti-farmer moves that the BJP-led central government was trying to push on poor farmers "to promote interests of their rich corporate friends".
"Instead of flashing the manifesto copies at journalists, the Akali Dal and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) should have made the effort to first read their relevant parts," Captain Amarinder Singh said.
He said the AAP and SAD are levelling "unsubstantiated and blatantly false" allegations against the Congress on the issue of farm bills.
Referring to Congress manifestos for the 2019 Lok Sabha election and the 2017 Punjab assembly election, Captain Amarinder Singh said the party had nowhere spoken about bringing any of the changes that the Centre was trying to impose on the nation with its "ill-intentioned legislations".
"In fact, the manifestos had clearly talked about strengthening the APMC system to make it even more beneficial to the farmers," he said.
Akalis should stop lying. @INCIndia manifestos in 2017 Punjab elections & in 2019 LS polls clearly proposed strengthening APMC system & not replacing govt procurement with private players & contract system. We categorically ruled out tinkering with MSP, unlike @BJP4India.
— Capt.Amarinder Singh (@capt_amarinder) September 19, 2020
Elaborating on this, he said the Punjab Congress manifesto for 2017 polls had stated that APMC Act would be updated to ensure direct access of farmers to the national and international markets through digital technology, without tinkering with the existing MSP system.
About the party manifesto for the Lok Sabha polls, Captain Amarinder Singh said this manifesto went a step ahead and talked of strengthening the marketing system by repealing the existing Act and bringing in new provisions that would provide for establishment of thousands of kisan markets to provide easy access to farmers within 2-3 kms range.
"Only idiots or liars could interpret this to mean that the Congress had meant to abolish the APMC Act," he said.
"When and where did the Congress ever talk of replacing APMC with contract farming and private procurement," the Chief Minister asked, and said the Akalis and AAP are blatantly misleading the people.
Captain Amarinder Singh pointed out that the Punjab Congress manifesto had categorically promised that the "state government will ensure lifting of foodgrain within 48 hours and payment by procurement agencies within three days for the procured foodgrain".
"Picking up sentences and misrepresenting the communication is an art that the BJP has mastered, and the Akalis are now emulating," Captain Amarinder said.
He said it is also "unfortunate" that the media is taking statements of the Badals and the BJP on face value, without checking the two manifestos.
"As for AAP, in the absence of any meaningful issue, AAP leaders are merely aping SAD to criticise the state government on any and every issue without even bothering to cross-check their facts or understand the matter," he said.