Hope concerns of farmers will reach Centre: Amarinder Singh

Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh on Friday expressed hope that "concerns of farmers" on agriculture bills will reach the Centre and it will "gracefully back off from destroying farm sector".

A release from CMO office said that farmers were forced to come out on roads amid COVID-19 pandemic due to "unconstitutional farm laws" of the Centre.

"The Chief Minister has expressed the hope that the pain of the agitating farmers, who braved the pandemic and the heat today to protest against the agriculture bills, will reach the Central Government, and it will gracefully back off from destroying the farm sector," the release said.

"The BJP-led Union Government had pushed the farmers to the brink, forcing them to come out on the roads and endanger their lives amid the COVID pandemic. Maybe the distressing visuals of tens of hundreds of farmers out on the roads at hundreds of locations in Punjab, and in several other states, will touch the hearts of the central leadership," the Chief Minister said.

The Chief Minister urged President Ram Nath Kovind not to give his consent to the bills which have been passed by Parliament.

He said the provisions of the bills will not just impact the economy of Punjab and the food security of the nation but also the lives of lakhs of farmers and their families, as well as those dependent on the agricultural food chain for their livelihood.

( With inputs from ANI )