Categorically rejecting the allegation that the government failed to effectively tackle the Covid pandemic in the state, Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh on Sunday urged the Bhartiya Kisan Union (Ekta Ugrahan) not to go ahead with its proposed dharna, which he said could turn into a superspreader of the contagion.

Capt Amarinder Singh, CM

Can’t negate gains made so far

Rallies or dharnas of any kind have the potential to negate the gains made in tackling Covid in the state... The state has been one of the best performing so far as the management of the pandemic is concerned.

Given the gravity of the situation, there was no scope for any laxity in Covid-appropriate behaviour, and rallies or dharnas of any kind were totally unacceptable when the lives of the people were at stake, the Chief Minister said.

Resume talks with farmers: SAD to centre

Ropar: SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal on Sunday said the Centre must restart talks with farmers without any conditions. Putting conditions for talks was not good for a healthy democracy, he said, adding he had appealed to the Prime Minister to resume talks with farmers directly. TNS

He said his government had fought hard to prevent Punjab going the way of some other states, such as Delhi, Maharashtra and even Uttar Pradesh (where bodies floating in the Ganga had exposed the total pandemic mismanagement by the BJP-ruled state.) Any event, such as the proposed three-day dharna of the BKU (Ekta Ugrahan) in Patiala, had the potential to negate the gains made by his government in tackling Covid in the state, he said.

Capt Amarinder urged the farmers’ group not to act irresponsibly and jeopardise the lives of their own people with such reckless behaviour amid the pandemic, especially when there was a complete ban in the state on all gatherings and any violation of the ban would be highly detrimental to the interests of Punjab and its people. Such a dharna would draw people mainly from the villages, which were in any case going through a crisis during the second wave of the pandemic, he pointed out.

The group’s action was also completely unwarranted considering the total support the state government had extended all these months to the agitating farmers on the issue. He said as a result of the concerted efforts of the government, the medical fraternity, police, civil administration and village panchayats had successfully brought the number of cases to 5,421 on May 22, from a high of nearly 10,000 just about two weeks ago. — TNS