Punjab Chief Minister Capt. Amarinder Singh on Monday said his government would pass in the Vidhan Sabha whatever resolution was needed to counter their dangerous impact.
Addressing a public rally in Bhawanigarh on the second day of the 3-day 'Kheti Bachao Yatra,' led by former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi, the Chief Minister vowed to do whatever it takes to protect the farmers and the state from the devastating effects of the black laws.
“Will you go to Adanis and Ambanis when in need, as you do with to the arhtiyas at present?” the Chief Minister asked the farmers
Amid slogans of 'Capt. Paanian Da Rakha Zindabad', the Chief Minister told the people in the heartland of the Malwa region, which produces the highest yield in wheat and paddy in the state, that the Modi government had backtracked on every single promise made by it, be it the constitutional promise of paying GST or employment or doubling of farmers’ income. For seven months, Punjab had not got its share of GST, leaving the state struggling to somehow manage amid COVID-19, he said.
Asserting that the Congress, with Rahul leading the way, will fight for the farmers till its last breath, the Chief Minister appealed to him to repeal the black laws once he becomes Prime Minister. Rahul has come to hold the hand of the farmers, he said, terming the new farm laws an act of total injustice with the farming community.
The Modi government does not know how agriculture works in Punjab and the country, he said, adding that these legislations would pave the way for scrapping MSP and winding up FCI, as per the Shanta Kumar committee recommendations.
Warning that these laws will led to closure of the mandis, he said his government could not let the Union government do that and will take all steps, including a Vidhan Sabha session to counter the new legislations, and challenging the Centre’s laws in Supreme Court.
Recalling his bonding with Sangrur, the Chief Minister said that “this is the land of my forefathers and its sacred soil produced martyrs like Shaheed Udham Singh, who kept the soil of Jallianwala Bagh with him to act as a constant reminder to avenge the tragedy of 1919.” “We derive inspiration from such heroes and martyrs,” said Capt. Amarinder Singh.
Apart from former AICC chief Rahul Gandhi, PPCC president Sunil Jakhar, ex-chief minister Rajinder Kaur Bhattal, Punjab Cabinet Ministers Balbir Sidhu and Vijay Inder Singla also addressed the gathering.
The occasion also saw a farmer named Mukhtiar Singh from Kanjhla village, holding 4 acres of land, narrating his tale of woes to the Chief Minister and other leaders.