Sukhbir accuses Capt of colluding with Centre on farm laws

Sukhbir said Amarinder government had not done anything to secure the rights of growers of non-government purchase crops like basmati, maize and cotton. (File)

Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal on Friday said that “it was condemnable that after playing a hoax on the farmers of Punjab in league with the central government”, Punjab CM Amarinder Singh was now trying to sell it as “an achievement”.

In a statement here, the SAD president said “it was shameful that even after it had been proved that he (Amarinder) had colluded with the Centre simply to get the ‘rail roko’ agitation of the farmer organisations lifted”. He said that the was CM was trying to mislead Punjabis by trying to shift the blame of his own failures on others.

Asking the CM to “come clean and tell Punjabis why he had chosen to legislate on a subject on the concurrent list which would require central assent”, Sukhbir asked: “Isn’t this a clear sign of collusion with the BJP government at the Centre? You could have taken the advice of the SAD and chosen to legislate on the subject of agriculture by turning the entire state into a single ‘mandi’ to negate the three agri laws but you chose to legislate on the subject of trade over which the Centre has the final say”.

Asking the CM “not to resort to street talk and instead rely on facts while speaking on serious issues”, the SAD president said: “It is a fact that the resolution you moved in the Vidhan Sabha said you were repealing the three Acts. However the Bills you moved were only amendments in the Acts which have spoilt Punjab’s case even further like in the case of the river waters termination act in which you strengthened the case of Rajasthan and Haryana.”

Sukhbir added: “It is also a fact that the CM had refused to share the proposed legislation with anyone including his own cabinet colleagues….Similarly you took a U-turn by saying the special session would not serve any purpose and then called it when you faced the heat from the farmers.”

Sukhbir said Amarinder government had not done anything to secure the rights of growers of non-government purchase crops like basmati, maize and cotton.

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