BJP govts at Centre and in Haryana should step down, says Punjab CM

In response to the recent statements by senior BJP leaders, including the Union and Haryana agriculture ministers, on the deaths of protesting farmers, Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Sunday said the BJP-led government at the Centre and the ML Khattar government in Haryana should step down as they have lost the moral right to rule.

As per an official statement, Singh said, "The BJP-led government at the Centre and the ML Khattar government in Haryana should step down in the interest of the nation as they have lost the moral and ethical right to continue to rule."

The CM also slammed the Union Agriculture Minister over his statement that the central government has no plans to provide financial assistance from the Kisan Kalyan Fund to the families of the deceased farmers.

"It was deplorable that a government that can spend Rs 8 crore on the publicity campaign for the new farm laws cannot give compensation to the families of the farmers who have sacrificed their lives in fighting for their rights. Punjab alone has paid compensation to families of as many as 102 farmers who have died in these protests," he said.

He added, "Even the media has released details of more than 200 farmers from various states who have lost their lives in this agitation."

Referring to Tomar's claim that the Centre has no count of the deceased farmers, the CM said it was appalling that a government which claimed to be working in the interest of the farmers does not even know how many farmers have died in the protests against their farm laws, just as they had no idea, some months ago, on how many migrants had died in the country during the lockdown.

"What kind of government is this that has no data, or so it claims, of people dying on the streets in their own country," asked Captain Amarinder, according to the official statement.

"These statements of Tomar and Jai Parkash Dalal reflect a shocking lack of concern on the part of the BJP leadership towards the farmers who have been braving the elements and the lathis of Delhi and Haryana Police in their fight for survival," he further added.

Singh observed, "Either the Agriculture Minister deliberately lied on the floor of the house or simply does not care to even ascertain the facts and figures," said the CM, adding that this was not the first time a central minister has made a false statement in Parliament on the issue of the farm laws or the farmers' agitation. Another minister had earlier stated falsely in the House that Punjab had been taken on board on the Farm Laws in its capacity as a member of the agricultural reforms committee, which was also a blatant lie."

"Having failed to convince the farmers with their fibs and fictions, the Union Government was now resorting to parliamentary impropriety of the highest level, in total violation of the Constitutional principles and ideologies," he added.

( With inputs from ANI )