Sukhbir Singh Badal accuses Punjab CM of 'playing a hoax on farmers' by passing agriculture bills in assembly

Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) President Sukhbir Singh Badal accused the Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh of 'playing a hoax on the farmers' of the state 'in league with the Central government' by passing agriculture bills in the state assembly and said the Chief Minister now trying to sell the fraud as an achievement.

Shirom Akali Dal (SAD) President Sukhbir Singh Badal accused the Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh of 'playing a hoax on the farmers' of the state 'in league with the Central government' by passing agriculture bills in the state assembly and said the Chief Minister now trying to sell the fraud as an achievement.

"It was 'shameful' that even after Amarinder Singh's 'fraud had been discovered' and it had been proved that he had colluded with the centre simply to get the 'rail roko' agitation of the farmer orgzations lifted, he was trying to mislead Punjabis by trying to shift the blame of his own failures on others," Badal said in an official release issued by SAD.

Asking Amarinder Singh to come clean and tell Punjabis why he had chosen to legislate on a subject on the concurrent list which would require central assent, Badal said "isn't this a clear sign of collusion with the BJP government at the centre? You could have taken the advice of the SAD and chosen to legislate on the subject of Agriculture by turning the entire State into a single 'mandi' to negate the three Agri laws but you chose to legislate on the subject of Trade over which the centre has the final say."

He further asked the Punjab Chief Minister to not resort to street talk and instead rely on facts while speaking on serious issues,

"It is a fact that the resolution you moved in the Vidhan Sabha said you were repealing the three Acts. However, the Bills you moved were only amendments in the Acts which have spoilt Punjab's case even further like in the case of the river waters termination act in which you strengthened the case of Rajasthan and Haryana," the SAD president said.

Badal said it was also a fact that the chief minister had refused to share the proposed legislation with anyone including his own cabinet colleagues, but also lied that the Bills had been framed in consultation with farmer bodies which have since denied this claim and called them 'tutte futte'.

He stated that the chief minister had also played with the future of farmers of Punjab by not making government purchase on minimum support price mandatory (MSP), and added that Congress government had also not done anything to secure the rights of growers of non-government purchase crops like basmati, maize and cotton.

"Isn't it true that with your collusion with the centre you have brought Punjab back to square one? You knew that the legislation you were introducing in the Vidhan Sabha would not get Presidential assent but still, you went ahead with it and ignored all advice to the contrary because you had decided to sell out Punjab's interests at the hands of the centre", Badal said further.

The assembly passed three bills "unmously" to "protect MSP and check hoarding of foodgrains".

The House also passed by voice vote an amendment to CrPC for exempting farmers from the attachment of land up to 2.5 acres.

The assembly passed Farmers' (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services (Special Provisions and Punjab Amendment) Bill, 2020, the Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) (Special Provisions and Punjab Amendment) Bill, 2020 and the Essential Commodities (Special Provisions and Punjab Amendment) Bill, 2020.

( With inputs from ANI )