Farm legislations will undo sacrifices made by farmers to make India self-sufficient: Punjab CM

Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Friday slammed the farm legislations saying that the "anti-farmer" move will spoil the environment of Punjab and the legislations would undo the sacrifices made by Punjab and its farmers over 65 years to make India self-sufficient in food.

"I don't know what enmity the BJP and the Akalis have with Punjab and why they are out to destroy us," said the Chief Minister while launching the Virual Kisan Mela of the Punjab Agriculture University, Ludhiana.

According to an official release, the launch was held with virtual connectivity at 100 locations and saw participation by farmers, farmer representatives and other stakeholders, including ministers, MLAs and PPCC chief Sunil Jakhar.

Warning again that the legislations will lead to growing angst among the people in the border state, thus giving Pakistan the opportunity to stoke more fires, the Punjab CM said, "The anti-farmer move will spoil the `abo hawa' (environment) of Punjab. Delhi has to rethink on this issue, the legislations would undo the sacrifices made by Punjab and its farmers over 65 years to make India self-sufficient in food."

Accusing the Akalis of playing their own political games in this entire affair, Captain Amariner asked the Badals why the SAD had failed to stand with the Punjab government on these Bills and even on the critical water issue.

"Did you not think even once what will happen to Punjab without agriculture and without water?" he asked the Akalis, pointing out that with the SYL issue hanging over the state, the situation was perilous and the SAD had only contributed to the crisis by supporting the farm ordinances.

The Chief Minister said notwithstanding the Centre's denials these new laws will eventually pave the way for the elimination of the MSP regime and end of the FCI, leaving the farmers at the mercy of big corporates, as recommended by the Shanta Kumar committee.

Strongly opposing the legislations, the Chief Minister also trashed the Centre's guarantee of MSP not being tampered with, saying it was a Constitutional guarantee given by Parliament, which, in fact, the incumbent government at the Centre was trying to destroy with their brute majority.

Even the MSP already announced on items like Maize is not being given to the farmers, he noted, questioning the sincerity of the Government of India.

It was shameful that despite knowing these facts as part of the ruling coalition, the Akalis continued to side with the central government and did not oppose the ordinances during the all-party meeting convened by him and did not even come to the Assembly to vote for the resolution against them, Captain Amarinder said.

Taking a dig at Harsimrat Badal's remarks of standing with her `farmer brethren' by resigning from the Union Cabinet, Captain Amarinder asked why she forgot that the farmers were her brothers when the Centre brought in the ordinances. Had SAD stood with his government from the outset and put pressure on their ally, the BJP, the current situation may not have arisen, he added.

( With inputs from ANI )