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By: Express News Service | Chandigarh |
December 2, 2020 12:25:48 am
Punjab CM Amarinder Singh Punjab CM Amarinder Singh on Tuesday hit out at the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) saying they had exhibited “shocking double standards on the farmers’ protests” by “shamelessly implementing the draconian” farm law in middle of the crisis while pretending to be standing with the farmers.
In a statement on Tuesday, Amarinder said even as AAP was claiming to be supporting the agitating farmers, the Arvind Kejriwal government in Delhi had brazenly executed the black law through a gazette notification on November 23.
The Delhi government has notified one of the three central farm laws and is examining the remaining two, officials said on Tuesday. The Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Ordinance, 2020 was notified on November 23, said a senior Delhi government official.
“The remaining two laws are under examination by the development department of the Delhi government,” he said.
Quite clearly, AAP had been working behind the farmers’ backs all these days, said the Chief Minister, expressing shock at the fact that even before the farmers had embarked on their ‘Delhi Chalo’ march, the Kejriwal government had actually issued the notification which would spell the death-knell for the ‘annadattas’ in the national capital.
“Do they have no shame?” asked Amarinder, slamming AAP for misleading the Kisan Unions by pretending to be supporting their cause while all this time, Kejriwal’s party was merely indulging in political theatrics.
“First they failed to pass any amendment laws in the Delhi Assembly to negate the central laws, as was done in Punjab. And now they have gone so far as to officially notify the agricultural legislation in Delhi, where AAP is in power. The party’s true intent and affiliation have been utterly exposed,” Amarinder noted.
Responding to AAP’s criticism of his handling of the situation and for taking on Haryana CM M L Khattar, the Chief Minister remarked that while he was busy fighting for the rights of his farmers, Kejriwal was preparing to pull the rug under the feet of the farmers, who had been braving all kinds of atrocities by the Haryana government in their quest for justice.
Amarinder also lambasted AAP for befooling the farmers with its ill-conceived suggestion that the Punjab government should pass a Bill in the state Assembly to make MSP a statutory right for farmers in the state. “It is obvious that AAP either does not understand the problems of farmers or simply does not care,” he said, asking that “even if the state has the money to buy all the foodgrain, which it simply does not, where would it sell the same?”
In any case, he pointed out that MSP and other issues raised by the farmers did not relate to Punjab alone but farmers of the whole country.
“Can’t you see that farmers from all agricultural states are marching to Delhi to fight the Farm Laws? Or is that you simply cannot see beyond your own petty political interests,” he asked AAP leaders.
(With PTI Inputs)
© The Indian Express (P) Ltd