With an eye on the Assembly election, due early next year in Punjab, the Congress on Wednesday staged the first protest in it’s planned series against the alleged failures of the ruling Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD)-BJP government.
Sharpening its attack on the State government, the Congress has blamed the Akali leadership for the current agrarian crisis and rising number of farmers’ suicides in Punjab.
“I request you [farmers] not to resort to desperate measures like suicide. Wait for just seven more months. I promise you the new Congress government will take all steps to make you [farmers] debt-free,” said Capt. Amarinder Singh, Punjab Congress Chief in Gurdaspur’s Dinanagar, while leading a dharna by party workers, against the alleged anti-farmer policies of the government.
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Capt. Amarinder said the Congress after forming the next government, would bring in a law which will save the indebted farmers’ assets from being confiscated.
“Sugarcane farmers are waiting for their dues, amounting to nearly Rs. 250 crore, while the government is in deep slumber,” he said, adding “if government fails to immediately release the sugarcane farmers their dues, the Congress will launch a State-wide agitation.”
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Capt. Amarinder said there had been a gradual increase in number of suicides by the farmers in Punjab. “Recently it was reported that hundreds of bodies were seen floating in the canal at Khanouri village in Sangrur and most of these bodies were feared to be of the debt-ridden farmers, but majority of the suicide cases were going unnoticed,” he said.
“The Akali-BJP alliance is responsible for the current crisis in the farming sector of Punjab, and farmers were the worst sufferers.. time was not far when the Akali's will not be able to venture out among the public,” said Capt. Amarinder.
The Congress leader accused the Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal of playing petty politics on the SYL Canal issue. “I am sure Mr. Badal wants the situation to get complicated so that he can exploit the people’s sentiments,” he said.
‘State is bankrupt’Addressing the gathering, the former Chief Minister Rajinder Kaur Bhattal accused the government of bringing the State to the brink of bankruptcy. Congress MP Partap Singh Bajwa, meanwhile said, the party leaders may have a difference of opinion amongst themselves, but they were united and together to ensure Congress victory in the elections.
In it’s chain of protests planned by the party, Congress workers will stage another dharna on June 13 at Jalandhar against the deteriorating law and order situation in the State. While on June 18, a dharna will be held in Badal village, the native village of Chief Minister Mr. Parkash Singh Badal.