Amarinder Singh. A war of words broke out between the ruling Congress in Punjab and Aam Aadmi Party Monday as Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh blamed the opposition party workers for the “attack” on Congress MP Ravneet Singh Bittu at the Singhu border at the behest of the Bharatiya Janata Party. The AAP, however, refuted the allegations and claimed Bittu was opposed only because of the statements he had made against farmers.
Bittu was on Sunday allegedly assaulted, pushed around and his turban pulled off in what he described was a “plot to kill him” by some “goonda elements” during a Kisan Sansad programme at the Singhu border. The Ludhiana MP’s vehicle was also damaged in the attack at the Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji Memorial where he had gone with party MP Gurjeet Singh Aujla and MLA Kulbir Singh Zira to attend the event.
Amarinder said farmers have been protesting peacefully at Delhi’s borders for over two months now without resorting to any such acts. He alleged that the “attack” was not the handiwork of the peacefully protesting farmers but of AAP workers, whose only agenda is to weaken the farmers’ fight by “creating trouble” at the behest of the BJP.
“AAP is camping there. No one but AAP is responsible for the attack. Farmers are not responsible,” Amarinder said, adding, “ They (AAP workers) should understand that the country thrives on ‘Lokshahi (democracy)’ and not ‘dhakashahi (push and shove)’.”
Intelligence reports indicate that AAP workers intermingled with farmers and allegedly assaulted the Congress leaders, Amarinder claimed, adding that AAP’s “desperate attempts” to undermine him and his government in Punjab were becoming “more and more brazen by the day”. After their efforts to spread false propaganda and lies about the Congress-led government in Punjab failed to mislead the farmers, they “resorted to violence” against Bittu and Zira, the chief minister alleged.
The farmers had no reason to assault the Punjab Congress leaders, Amarinder further said, adding, “Such tactics would not help AAP to drive a wedge between his government and the farmers which they have been trying to do for months now at the bidding of Arvind Kejriwal, who is clearly dancing to the BJP leadership’s tune.”
AAP’s state co-in charge Raghav Chadha, however, said, “We want to make it clear to Captain (Amarinder) and to the Congress party that AAP had nothing to do with this attack. Those who have opposed it are common people. Whatever activity is going on there is being done as per the decision of the farmers themselves”.
If anyone is responsible for what happened on Sunday, it is the Congress party, Ravneet Bittu and the chief minister himself, he added. “A few days ago, Ravneet Bittu crossed the line of shamelessness and made all false statements against the farmers’ movement. People now know that Captain government is a fake government,” added Chadha.
He said that the farmers and the people of Punjab have understood the alliance between Captain Amarinder Singh and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. It was under this conspiracy that Bittu first made a statement against the farmers and yesterday, when he went to the place of farmers’ movement, they vehemently opposed him.
“Bittu did not say anything yesterday, but when the AAP exposed collusion between Captain and Modi with RTI documents, he started making false allegations against us,” Chadha said.
Meanwhile, in response to a question during his media interaction, Punjab CM said he was hopeful that the farmers’ tractor march would be peaceful.