Amarinder compromised interests of Punjab: Sukhbir Badal

Chandigarh, April 10

Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal on Saturday said Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh should resign for compromising the interests of the state by being hand in glove with the BJP-led Centre in punishing the farmers protesting against the three agricultural laws.

The SAD president, who was addressing the media here, said the Punjab and Haryana High Court order quashing the Special Investigating Team (SIT) formed by the Congress government in the Kotkapura police firing case had made it clear that the Chief Minister was not interested in finding the guilty but was using the case to implicate the Badal family.

He said it was now clear that the SIT was formed to indulge in political vendetta.

“What we have been maintaining since day one that the entire investigation is being done with malicious intent has been proved. Amarinder took an oath to take action against those responsible for sacrilege of Guru Granth Sahib but has played with the sentiments of the people by indulging in a political investigation and has wasted four years in this process.” Stating that the Chief Minister had sold off the interests of the state to the BJP, Badal said “forget fighting for the rights of the state, Amarinder does not even raise the issues affecting the people of the state with the central government.” He said the Chief Minister had time and again agreed with all the anti-farmer steps taken by the Centre.

Asserting that the Chief Minister as afraid of the central government, Badal said the Kisan Andolan would not have started if Amarinder had taken prompt action when the agricultural Ordinances were being framed.

He said at that time the Chief Minister was part of the committee in which the Ordinances were discussed.

“Later when an opportunity arose to repeal the three agricultural Acts in the Punjab Assembly the Chief Minister proposed amendments in the Acts instead of rejecting them altogether,” he added.

Badal also appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to hold a meeting with the farmer organisations and resolve all their grievances including repealing the three agricultural laws.

“The PM has not sent a good signal to the farmers by taking anti-farmer measures, including imposing direct benefit transfer (DBT) scheme on farmers despite the fact that they don’t want it and also giving the nod for increasing fertiliser prices by more than 50 per cent. Both measures should be withdrawn,” the junior Badal said.

–IANS