Punjab Chief Minister Capt. Amarinder Singh on Monday termed the railways’ decision to link the movement of goods trains in the State with passenger trains irrational and illogical. He said that by defending the decision, the BJP was further fuelling the fire of anger among farmers.
Rejecting BJP State unit president Ashwani Sharma’s allegation of “arm-twisting” the Centre, the Chief Minister said it was the BJP leadership that was inciting farmers with its anti-Punjab stance on the issue. Instead of questioning the railways and supporting the State government in persuading the Centre to allow freight trains to ply, the BJP leadership continued to indulge in dirty politics at the cost of the welfare of the people of Punjab and neighbouring States.
“What’s worse is that the BJP is not even concerned about our soldiers in Ladakh and Kashmir who are waiting desperately for critical supplies before the onset of snow, which would block them off completely from the rest of the country for the winter months,” he stated.
‘Farmers told to ease blockade'
On Mr. Sharma’s accusation that the State government had failed to dissuade protesters from blocking train services, the Chief Minister said the fact was that it was his government that convinced farmers to ease their blockade to let essential supplies come in. Even now, several of his Cabinet colleagues were engaged with farmers unions to push for complete lifting of the blockade to allow even passenger movement, he said.
There was absolutely no logic in linking the movement of goods and passenger trains. The railways were doing it as a patent excuse to continue with the suspension of freight services, he observed.
The adamant stand of the railways, which the BJP was endorsing, suggested lack of intent to resolve the imbroglio on the goods trains issue, he said. “Why else would the railways be taking refuge in one excuse after another to continue to suspend the services in Punjab, especially after the farmers had cleared all tracks for freight movement and he had personally guaranteed full safety to the goods trains even though railway security rested with GRP?” he added.