CHANDIGARH: Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh on Monday condemned the issuance of NIA notices to several farmers and their supporters in the midst of the anti-Farm Laws agitation, adding that such "arm-twisting" tactics would not weaken the resolve of the farmers to fight for their rights and their future.
"Do these farmers look like secessionists and terrorists?,” asked Amarinder, slamming the BJP-led government at the Centre for resorting to such reprehensible and oppressive tactics in their desperation to undermine the peacefully protesting farmers’ fighting spirit.
But these measures will not succeed in destroying the resolve of the farmers, rather the Centre will only end up provoking them into stronger reaction, he said, questioning the intent of the Centre, which he said seemed bent on pushing the farmers over the edge through such intimidatory actions.
Amarinder warned that BJP’s most powerful minds will not be able to control the situation if things get irretrievably out of hand. Instead of resolving the crisis triggered by the draconian legislations, the BJP led Central government was resorting to victimisation and harassment of the protesting farmers and their supporters, said Amarinder, dubbing it a regressive step that would lead to further hardening of the farmers’ stance.
"It is obvious that the BJP-led NDA government neither cared for the farmers and their concerns, nor understood their psyche. Punjabis are fighters by nature, they are imbued with the fighting spirit which makes them among the best warriors in the world," he said, adding that the Centre’s coercive actions will only provoke the farmers from Punjab to react negatively.
These low-level actions will not suppress the voice of the farmers, or those millions of Indians who are supporting the farmers, he added, demanding that the Centre should immediately withdraw the Farm Laws and sit down across the table with all the stakeholders, especially the farmers, to usher in an era of genuine agricultural reforms.